


A New Life

by WrongLeverKronk



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Quiglet, also i love that hector cared for the quagmires for a time, and also that olivia is alive and well, i dont accept the ending of the book so i am deciding that the triplets are safe, i made up a few snow scouts for the story, i promise the baudelaires will come in later, so he loves his unofficially adopted children, they deserve each other, why do i suck so bad at tagging?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28657077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrongLeverKronk/pseuds/WrongLeverKronk
Summary: “I don’t believe what I am seeing,” Isadora breathed as she watched her brother climbing the ladder leading to the hot air mobile home. Was she hallucinating from the oxygen changes in the higher altitude? Did Hector accidentally serve them molded food that was affecting her perception of reality? Maybe she never woke up and she was still dreaming in bed? If that was the case, she wanted to stay in this dream forever.(Or: the AU no one asked for where the children are cared for by Olivia Caliban)
Relationships: Duncan Quagmire & Isadora Quagmire & Quigley Quagmire, Fiona/Isadora Quagmire, Klaus Baudelaire & Sunny Baudelaire & Violet Baudelaire, Klaus Baudelaire/Duncan Quagmire, Olivia Caliban/Jacques Snicket, Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire
Comments: 21
Kudos: 50





	1. In the Cold Air

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I picked a bit from the show and a bit from the books to create something that made me happy. Olivia Caliban is the Prufrock Preparatory librarian just like in the show. She is lovely and kind and exactly who I want our favorite children to end up with. In this slight AU, she does NOT go undercover as Madam Lulu. Like in the books, Madam Lulu is a bit of a loose-lipped coward so I am taking her name and giving it to our TV show librarian. So just for clarification, they are separate people in this AU.  
> Further, the Self-Sustaining Hot Air Mobile Home spotted Quigley and picked him up like shown in the TV show. But like in the books, they were attacked by the eagles and then The Great Unknown soon after.
> 
> Basically, I just wanted Olivia to be alive and care for these children. They all deserve each other.

Quigley looked out across the water and sighed deeply. He wasn’t sure how long he had been stranded in the middle of the vast ocean but he saw several days pass overhead. After collecting the sugar bowl and closing the heavy laboratory entrance lid between himself and Violet Baudelaire, he peeked in the bowl and frowned at the sugar cubes it contained. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but he assumed it would be something else to warrant his top-secret instructions. Minutes later, the crows took the bowl from him and he waited for the arrival of the ride he was promised, but it never came. 

When he was volunteered by VFD to fetch the sugar bowl from the underground laboratory, Kit Snicket sent him there with a bag containing a small ration of food and water intended for a short journey. Quigley decided to save this for later, which was lucky because he found that his return to the mainland was going to be delayed by several days. He ran out of food two days ago and he finished his last sip of water that previous morning. He tried especially hard to make his water last but when he woke up and found his throat feeling cracked and grainy from dryness, he was forced to finish it. 

During moments like this when he was alone and trapped with his thoughts, he wished he never met Jacques Snicket at the house filled with empty reptile cages. He wished for ignorance regarding this organization and he wished to be back with his family. He absently drew his parents’ faces onto the cold metal underneath him with his pointer finger and took comfort in knowing his siblings were safe, according to the Baudelaires. His thoughts drifted to his new friends, whom he hoped were safe and happy. His time with the three siblings was too short and he hoped he could find them again.

He especially missed talking to Violet.

Even though the water and air surrounding him were cold and the sun above him was dim, he made a conscious effort to sleep on his stomach and protect his face from the sun rays. Today, however, while he thought about his missing family and friends, he dozed off lying on his back, feeling empty in heart and stomach.

When he woke up again, he felt much worse. His head ached, his left ear felt stuffy, and his stomach cramped furiously with hunger. He sat up and wondered if this would be the end of his life; his body left here on the burned remains of a secret laboratory never to be found. He hugged his torso tightly to conserve body heat and laid down on his side to stare out at the water. His cheek stung mildly when it touched the cold metal and he sighed in defeat, knowing it was burned from the sun. He wished he understood enough about inventions to create a device to filter the salt out of the ocean water he was surrounded by (and he hated the irony of dying of dehydration while surrounded by water). He knew Violet would have completed that within her first ten minutes of being stranded and made a net to catch fish as a bonus.

Sometimes he wondered if he loved her and this thought brought him grief and joy as he dozed off again.

When he awoke for the third time that day, he heard a strange noise above him. He believed it was the leftovers from his dreams and waited for it to dissipate as his brain brought him back to reality, but the sound only became louder. He squinted his eyes open into the sunset-pinkened sky and frowned. How curious was it to see a hot air balloon right now, he thought to himself, there isn’t even a festival nearby. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before it hit him. With strength he didn’t know he had, he stood up quickly and peered out into the sky at the floating object.

His siblings found him.

He started screaming and did not stop until a ladder was dropped down in front of his face. 

~~~

“Looks like we’ve got company!” Hector called to Isadora and Duncan Quagmire after spotting a stranded person on the entrance of the Anwhistle Aquatics marine research center in the middle of the ocean. The two triplets never let themselves even imagine it could be their supposedly deceased brother. As they neared the mysterious stranger, they all prepared the baskets for another human to board. Isadora pulled the ladder out of its hiding place in a tin bucket and secured it to the side of the basket before throwing it over. Duncan figured the stranger may be thirsty if they were stranded for several hours or even days. He ignored Hector’s light chide as he raced to the basket serving as a kitchen to fetch water for the newcomer. Hector was always telling the two triplets to be careful and they always were.

Hector didn’t plan on becoming a parent. He offered to take the Baudelaire children with him when he left that horrible village but they never got the chance to join him. Instead, he took in two children that were, for reasons he didn’t understand, kept in a fountain in the middle of town. Their travels were awkward at first before he had the opportunity to really know the Quagmires. They were initially filled with grief due to their previous travels and they refused to talk about where they had been. Despite that, they quickly trusted him as he provided them warmth, delicious meals, and cold juice. They grew to love one another greatly.

Hector was very fond of the Quagmires and he often found himself coddling and raising them like his own father did for him. The children owned nothing but the clothes on their backs and they always helped him cook and clean. He wished he could offer them fresh clothing so they never had to look at their old school uniforms again but he didn’t even think to bring a change of clothes for himself, much less for the children.

Hector pulled out a hastily-rolled tube and amplified his voice to yell down and let the stranger know they were available to provide aid. The stranger waved back excitedly.

After releasing the ladder, Isadora turned to help Hector prepare the sheltered basket, providing as a bedroom, for the guest. She heard the stranger yelling up to them but she believed it was a string of appreciations. She would greet them properly when they boarded the mobile home.

She met Hector in the bedroom basket and gently suggested they have a plan in case this new visitor was someone with malicious intentions. She didn’t forget Count Olaf and his horrible schemes to steal her and her brother and she knew he had associates that could hide out on the entrance of an underwater laboratory.

“I’ve already thought of that,” Hector whispered back and handed Isadora a spatula and a frying pan. “Hand one to your brother. As soon as they board, we will gently question them.”

“What do we do if they are evil?” Isadora asked worriedly while taking the objects from Hector. She knew he had a kind heart but based on her previous stops, she didn’t believe a guardian that could hide and protect her and her brother from the crazed captors even existed.

“We throw them into the ocean,” he patted her head and walked away into the ‘kitchen.’ 

Isadora wasn’t sure she liked this idea but she didn’t have time to think of a better solution. “We float in the sky without any fear; because there’s no way wretched Olaf will find us up here,” she whispered, calming herself with a couplet. She began to wish they didn’t pick up this stranger when she heard her brother call to her.

“What is it, Duncan? Is everything okay?” She called back and quickly returned to his side.

“Isa, look at this,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Isadora had to touch shoulders with her brother and lean in to hear him properly. He had a look of pure aghast painted on his face and he was pointing with his forefinger down to the stranger climbing the ladder. 

Isadora gulped silently before peeking over the side of the basket, afraid of what she would see that stunned Duncan like that. Would it be Count Olaf? Or the hook-handed man that grabbed them in the library on their last day of school? Or their family’s very own financial consultant that helped auction them off, Esmé Squalor?

She frowned when she saw who was climbing the rope and grinning up at them. For just a moment, she thought it was ridiculous for Duncan to be in two places at once and she nearly told him to stop goofing around. That is when she understood she was looking at her missing brother and her breath caught in her throat.

“Quigley!” She startled as Duncan screamed his name at her side. He quickly grabbed Isadora’s arm and shook her excitedly. “Isa, look! Look who it is!”

“I don’t believe what I am seeing,” Isadora breathed as she watched her brother climbing the ladder leading to the hot air mobile home. Was she hallucinating from the oxygen changes in the higher altitude? Did Hector accidentally serve them molded food that was affecting her perception of reality? Maybe she never woke up and she was still dreaming in bed? If that was the case, she wanted to stay in this dream forever.

Isadora watched Duncan jumping up and down excitedly without taking his eyes off of Quigley. “Is this real?” She asked him softly as the frying pan slipped from her hand.

“Yes, Isa!” He finally looked at her but only for the briefest moment before turning back to Quigley and continuing to yell and bounce on his toes happily. “Here he comes! Hector, Hector, you won’t believe this! You found our brother!”

Quigley reached the basket and pulled himself into it, panting lightly and doubled over with his hands on his knees. For a couple seconds (that felt like several minutes to the children) Isadora and Duncan stood staring at Quigley and he stared back before they all began to cry. They lunged forward toward each other and wrapped their arms hurriedly around one another, falling to the basket ground on their knees. Isadora kissed the top of his head several times and Duncan cried into his brother’s neck. They both kept their arms wrapped tightly around Quigley, afraid that he would disappear if they let go.

“Is it really you?” Isadora gasped.

Quigley nodded and choked out between sobs, “Am I really here right now?”

“Yes,” Duncan held him impossibly tighter.

Several minutes later, they were able to settle down a bit and Quigley started laughing. “Isa, why are you holding a spatula?” She looked down at her hands and began laughing too, along with Duncan. She hadn’t noticed she dropped the frying pan but couldn’t communicate with her other hand long enough to make it let go of the spatula.

"Quigley, I just can't believe you are really here!"

When she spoke his name aloud, Quigley cried again. His siblings held him in their arms and he cherished their soothing, calm voices. He last remembered hearing them screaming above him as he was trapped in the secret tunnels his mother led him to. He was looking forward to replacing that memory for a long time.

“I have missed you both so much,” Quigley sobbed again.

“We have missed you too,” Isadora rested her hand on his cheek and Duncan nodded enthusiastically. “Please tell us everything!”

“I will, I promise. Do you have any water? I ran out and I am so thirsty,” Quigley begged and that is when his siblings finally saw him.

His hair was longer than the last time they saw him, discernibly longer than Duncan’s current hair length. His eyes were heavy-lidded and he had dark purple bruising under them from exhaustion. His cheeks were colored pink and peeling due to exposure to the sun. He looked warm enough in a large coat and boots but he was shivering. His siblings scooted closer to him.

“Quigley Quagmire?” Hector noticed the slight lull in tears and saw his opportunity to introduce himself. All three triplets turned to him. “My name is Hector. We are very happy to have you here with us.”

Quigley grinned brightly and thanked him for his generosity while Duncan gasped with realization.

“Thank you so much,” Duncan cried aloud, standing up on shaky legs and running to Hector. He wrapped his arms around him tightly and said between sobs, “You found our brother, thank you so much! I owe you my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Hector shook his head and chuckled. “We couldn’t leave this little one out there in the middle of the ocean.”

“You brought our brother back to us,” Isadora confirmed earnestly, looking at Hector but her arms were still wrapped around Quigley. She didn’t know if she would ever let go. “We owe you our lives.”

Duncan nodded and rejoined his siblings on the basket floor. Hector flushed with slight embarrassment and smiled fondly at the children. After a moment, he turned his attention back toward Quigley. “Did you ask for water?”

Quigley nodded violently and tried to stand up, which proved to be difficult because Isadora still hadn’t let go and he had sudden onset of a headache. He groaned and rubbed his temple but when he saw the look on Isadora and Duncan’s faces, he quickly reassured his siblings that this had been happening over the past few days. That did not settle anyone’s worry. Hector returned with a glass of water and started to instruct Quigley to drink slowly but he was too late. Quigley took three large gulps of water before choking and running to the side of the basket to vomit into the ocean.

Isadora and Duncan looked at Hector with panic-filled eyes but he didn’t look worried. Hector rubbed Quigley’s back while he dry-heaved and he made soothing shushing noises to him, whispering that it will be okay. The triplets remembered their father used to do the same thing when they caught a stomach bug and this fond memory calmed them all slightly. When Quigley was finished, he wiped his mouth on his coat sleeve and sat back down in the basket, with his back resting against the side.

New tears filled his eyes from choking on the water and he panted lightly, clutching at his cramping stomach. “I don’t understand why that happened. I’m so thirsty,” Quigley whined sadly. Duncan and Isadora sat next to him and reached out to pat his legs.

“I know you are. By the looks of you, it has been a while since you’ve had any water. Your body just needs patience right now. Go ahead and try again but only a sip.”

Quigley nodded and obliged him, taking just a sip. This time the water went down lightly and his stomach turned for only a second before the nausea dissipated on its own. He sighed in relief and took another sip. Then another. Throughout the next several minutes, he had to fight the intense urge to pour several tubs of water down his throat and finally quench that horrible thirst. Hector decided they should wait before trying to eat food and he gently recommended the Quagmires let their brother rest. “When is the last time you slept?” He asked while pulling blankets out of a covered bin meant to protect them from the rain. He spread them out on the floor of the sheltered 'bedroom' basket and turned to fetch a pillow.

Quigley shrugged and replied, “I slept some today.”

Hector nodded sadly. “Why don’t you go take a nap? I can have dinner ready when you wake up.” Quigley's stomach growled at that and they all chuckled.

Duncan and Isadora immediately offered to stay with Quigley and he agreed enthusiastically. He did not want to be alone ever again. Hector made the two triplets promise to let their brother sleep and they quickly nodded. Hector replaced the basket door of the room while Duncan and Isadora laid down next to Quigley in the dark basket. Dim light from the bright sky seeped in through the small cracks but this only added to the soothing effect while floating in the air.

“Can we trust him?” Quigley whispered to his siblings on either side of him. They both nodded and simply stated that he saved their lives. Quigley wondered what happened while they were taken but he was afraid to ask, fearing the reality would tear them away from him again. The Baudelaires didn’t provide him with a full history, just that his siblings were safe and escaped in a hot air mobile home.

“Quigley, where have you been all of this time?” Duncan asked. He rolled over from his back onto his belly and propped himself up in his elbows, looking at his brother’s outline in the darkness. “How did you survive?”

“Were mom and dad with you?” Isadora asked the question they were both thinking and secretly hoping.

Quigley shook his head, tears filling his eyes and threatening to spill over. “I was with mom right before the fire and she hid me in a secret tunnel under the house.”

“A tunnel?” Duncan gasped.

Quigley nodded in the dark and his voice dropped to barely a whisper. “She left me there and went to help you all. She said she would be right back. But then I heard screaming, I heard you both screaming. And she never came back.”

"That is horrible," Duncan mumbled.

"I tried to help but the door wouldn't open," his voice cracked at that. "I think something fell over it and I couldn't help."

“It is okay, Quigley. None of that was your fault and we are all so glad that you are safe and here with us now. Where have you been this whole time?” Isadora asked, rubbing Quigley’s arm.

“I was at an abandoned house for a while and then I traveled to the mountains. I met the Baudelaires and they said they knew you,” He knew it was wrong to leave out so many terrible details of his travels but he didn’t want to worry his siblings further.

“Our friends!” Isadora smiled brightly to herself.

“How are they? How is Klaus?” Duncan asked excitedly.

“They are good! We saved Sunny and escaped but then I was separated from them.”

“Saved Sunny?” Duncan gasped.

“What happened to Sunny?” Isadora pressed him further.

“Those horrible people took her. I met Violet and Klaus when they were going to rescue her.”

“Wow,” Duncan whispered and rolled onto his back again. “So what did you-?”

They heard a gentle shush from outside the basket and Hector told them all to rest. He threatened to make Duncan and Isadora leave the basket if they didn’t let Quigley sleep. They knew this was not sincere and he would never make them leave their brother’s side. The triplets giggled quietly, remembering the joys of sharing a bedroom in their old house. They used to stay up far too late into the night playing pirates and doing cartwheels until their mother came by to check on them.

Isadora and Duncan sandwiched Quigley tightly between them. They all fell asleep with Isadora’s face pressed into Quigley’s neck and Duncan’s arm draped protectively over his brother. They were together at last and finally at peace in their hearts.

~~~

Quigley woke up a few hours later feeling groggy and uncomfortable. He tried to ignore his discomfort and go back to sleep but he soon realized he needed to pee and he silently regretted drinking so much water earlier. He tried to sit up but noticed a heavy weight on his chest and legs. His siblings both shifted in their sleep and Isadora’s head rested on his chest while Duncan’s legs were thrown over Quigley’s. He enjoyed the warmth and wanted to stay with his family but the need to urinate continued to plague him until he sighed in defeat. He groaned and carefully crawled out from under his siblings’ octopus-like grasp of him before opening the basket door and letting in a cold gust of air. 

He stepped outside of the bedroom basket and squinted in the dimly-lit sky. He heard Hector humming quietly and followed the sound of the song, finding him reading a book in the corner of the basket he first climbed up into. They smiled at each other and Hector closed his book.

“How are you feeling?” Hector asked softly, figuring Isadora and Duncan must still be asleep since they weren’t glued to their brother’s hip at the moment.

"Good," he responded but Hector continued to look at him. Quigley shrugged and answered more honestly, “I feel pretty exhausted.” Hector nodded understandably. “Where do we go to the bathroom?” Quigley asked quietly, red coloring his cheeks in embarrassment.

Hector explained they use a bucket and then dump it into the ocean below. When Quigley wrinkled his noise at that, Hector laughed. “The fish do it, why can’t we?”

Quigley didn’t have a decent response to that and he really did need to pee so he nodded enthusiastically and went to find the bucket. If Violet was here, he thought to himself, she would be able to create a whole sewage system right here in the baskets. He was sure Klaus had probably read a book about 18th century sewage systems and would therefore have an opinion on it too. He missed his friends deeply and his heart ached.

After he finished, he heard Duncan and Isadora speaking to Hector in another basket.

“It’s okay,” he was explaining to the children in a firm voice. “He just got up to use the bathroom. He’s okay.”

At the sound of his siblings’ panicked responses, Quigley quickly returned to them and they both sighed in relief. Duncan explained that when he woke up, he was afraid he dreamed the whole day and Isadora nodded solemnly, confirming similar fears. Quigley's heart ached further and he promised to wake them next time.

Hector led the triplets into the ‘kitchen’ with the guarantee of food and this seemed to ease the tension. When they entered the kitchen basket, the smell of spices and soups wafted around them and Quigley’s mouth watered. His stomach cramped harshly again but he silently chastised it, not wanting to miss out on real food. Hector turned toward them and handed Quigley a small chunk of plain bread. Duncan and Isadora opened their mouths to ask why he was only allowed to eat that but they stopped when they saw Quigley quickly grab the bread with both hands while wearing a look of wide-eyed amazement and excitement.

“Slowly,” Hector instructed firmly. “If this goes well, I’ll get you some food that’ll really knock your socks off.”

Quigley nodded and worked hard to control himself as he felt the warm bread in his mouth. He couldn’t remember his last warm meal but he figured it must have been the dinner just before the fire at his home. Since then, he had lived off of canned peaches courtesy of the late Montgomery Montgomery and the package of cashews from Kit with few meals inbetween. His siblings watched him eagerly, holding their breath in anticipation. When he didn’t choke, they all relaxed and sighed in relief.

“This is so good,” Quigley murmured with his mouth full of bread. “I love this, thank you so much.”

This made everyone chuckle fondly. When he finished his chunk of bread and confirmed he was still hungry, Hector passed around three soup bowls to the triplets. “Sopa de pata,” he informed them. “My grandmother’s recipe.”

Quigley took a bite and immediately burst into tears. This concerned his siblings and Hector and they asked if his stomach was bothering him again but Quigley just shook his head and thanked Hector. “This is the best food I have ever had in my entire life.”

Hector blushed furiously and poured himself a bowl.

The four joked over dinner and life began to feel normal again for the Quagmires. Quigley softly made fun of his siblings for their school uniforms and they both groaned dramatically, promising to tell him about the horrors. They poked at his hair and said that if their parents were with them right now, they would make him get a haircut. He rolled his eyes, knowing they were right. Hector watched them without realizing that a genuine smile was plastered to his face and he was close to tears.

After they finished eating, Hector suggested they all go back to bed. He refused to let Duncan and Isadora help him clean up and instead told them to rest and enjoy their time with their brother. They planned on staying up and goofing off for even longer but as soon as their heads touched the soft pillows, they realized how emotionally and physically exhausted they were and fell asleep within the minute. Hector checked on the children half an hour later and found them sleeping soundly in a pile, breathing deeply. He smiled and draped a blanket over them before tiptoeing back out, careful not to wake them.

Duncan woke up first the following morning when he heard a strange noise outside. He sleepily left their bedroom basket and blinked into the soft morning light. Everything seemed normal for a moment and he wondered if he dreamed the abnormality when he suddenly heard a loud squawk above him. He gasped and looked up at the balloons keeping his home afloat. A large eagle was circling the balloons and clawing at them, creating a screeching noise. Duncan heard a faint call and looked over to see several eagles quickly approaching.

He ran back to his siblings and shook them both, “Wake up, something weird is happening.”

Isadora and Quigley sat up, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and mumbling groggy questions, but Duncan did not hear them. He ran back out to find Hector. “Hector! Hector, wake up. I think we are in danger!”

Before Hector could respond, there was a loud pop above them followed by a jolt in the mobile home. Duncan gasped fearfully and grabbed the edge of the basket while the home steadied itself again. The jolt startled everyone else to full consciousness and they met together.

“These birds are trying to take us down!” Isadora realized. “Why would they do that?”

Quigley suddenly remembered the terrifying eagles that came and stole the members of the Snow Scouts group he joined as his cover in the mountains. They carried the children away in a large tarp and he remembered hearing their screams echoing in the stale mountain air for several minutes. He felt a chill travel down his spine. The eagles approached the home and flew threateningly around the remaining balloons, circling their pray. Quigley gasped harshly and turned to his siblings, fear shining through his eyes. “Okay, I know who these birds are with and this is really bad. We need to deter them as fast as possible.”

Without questioning her decision, Isadora hastily pulled off her Prufrock Preparatory uniform shoe and launched it at the sky, hitting one eagle in the chest. The bird screeched in an undignified manner and flew away from the balloons.

“Uh oh, that may have been a bit rash...” Isadora whispered, watching her shoe fall down to the deep ocean below.

Her brothers paused for a moment before laughing brightly despite their perilous position. Isadora frowned in confusion but turned to see them both removing their shoes and throwing them up at the eagles. Quigley’s boots were heavier than the school-required shoes and when they made contact with a bird, it did not return.

“These dreadful birds,” Hector hissed, running toward the kitchen basket. “They certainly aren’t half as good as a crow if you ask me. These eagles are much poorer birds.” He whistled harshly and then tossed rolls of bread away from their home, successfully distracting two eagles. They swooped away and chased after the snacks. Before he could throw more food, there was another large pop from above. They all glanced up worriedly and saw the remains of a balloon withering down as the air escaped through the claw marks. The baskets swooped lower and all four passengers clutched the sides of the basket. 

“If we take another hit, we will fall out of the sky,” Hector warned, looking nervously at the remaining balloons. “This is our last chance, children! Give them hell!”

Hector and the Quagmires scattered and grabbed various items around the mobile home to throw at the eagles. They all screamed loudly and thrashed their arms around between throws, trying to deter the eagles. Unfortunately, the large birds were trained well to ignore such attempts. Some of the birds were hit with a few objects but they worked together and managed to pop several balloons at once.

For a split second, the home was still suspended in air and Quigley looked at his siblings. He felt like a cartoon character that ran off a cliff and kept running until they realized they should fall. He closed his eyes tightly and help his breath as the feeling of falling filled his stomach.

“Those bastard birds! Hold on tight,” Hector screamed to the children as the four of them clutched the sides of the home. “Do not let go! Brace yourselves for impact!”

Quigley could hardly believe his turn of luck. If he had the opportunity to think about it, he would be angry that this happened right after he found his siblings. He would think about how this seemed to be a recurring pattern in his life. First, he was separated from his family, and then from Jacques Snicket, and then from the Baudelaires. If he had the chance, he would hug his siblings tightly and refuse to be separated from them again. But he did not have the opportunity to think about his situation and he did not have the chance to grab his siblings’ hands as they dropped out the sky. Instead, he screamed.

He knew they were nearing the ocean and he was consumed with overwhelming nausea from the fall and anticipation. He wondered if his siblings and Hector were also screaming as they plummeted down to the rough waves below. 

The baskets tore apart immediately as they made impact with the water and the four passengers were thrown into the dark ocean.


	2. An Encounter With New Associates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector and the Quagmires become the injured guests of some unexpected hosts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! This is a clean-up chapter (and by that I mean the Quagmires get cleaned up... the ocean is rough on human bodies, my friends)
> 
> I hope you enjoy! <3

Quigley felt an immediate shock travel up his spine as the icy cold waves enveloped him. It was hardly springtime and the top of the ocean was not yet warmed by the sluggish winter sun. The chills running through his body seemed to paralyze his arms and legs and he felt like he was floating in the air, almost like he never left the hot air mobile home. He absently wondered if his siblings felt this way too.

He sunk deeper into the water and his head made contact with something hard and heavy, stunning him further. He couldn’t believe he was back in this freezing water, though he should have known this horrible ocean he spent so many days staring at would finally take him back. And here he was, seemingly unable to struggle out of the firm clutches of a terrifying fate of drowning.

His lungs already felt uncomfortable and he knew he would have to suck in a breath soon. This frightened him greatly. He finally kicked out a little in an exhausted attempt to propel himself to the surface but his limbs were too stiff to make real progress. He stopped moving again and something crashed into his right shoulder, resulting in a sharp pain that felt like he was being electrocuted. He screamed out under water and kicked harshly with newly found energy. His head broke the surface for a moment and he screamed loudly before sucking in a desperate breath. The waves dragged him back under and he swallowed a mouthful of the ocean.

At that moment, he felt something large and solid underneath him. He wrapped his legs and left arm around it as best as he could while wondering if it was actually moving or if that sensation was just his imagination. His right arm throbbed uncomfortably and he winced as it rested against the object under him.

He found himself fortunately being pushed up and toward air. His head finally broke the ocean surface and he coughed violently, vomiting salt water. After his stomach and lungs calmed, he took in several deep breaths and relished in the oxygen surrounding him before looking around for his siblings. He saw Isadora a few feet from him, also vomiting into the ocean. She was straddling the large object just like he was and he realized they were sitting on what looked like a submarine. Hector was several feet from Isadora, holding onto the vessel’s frame with one hand and Duncan with the other. They were both still treading water in the rough ocean and Duncan was breathing deeply, examining the vessel they found with shaky hands and wide eyes.

Seeing his family alive brought Quigley an overwhelming sense of relief and he erupted into laughter. His outburst quickly shattered Isadora’s stunned expression and she turned toward him, suddenly flooded with her own happiness. She began laughing too and turned to wave at Duncan and Hector

“It’s a ship!” Duncan yelled to his siblings, coughing around his words and struggling to stay afloat as cold waves swept over his head. Hector wrapped an arm around his waist and hoisted him up onto the vessel.

At that moment, a large camera-like object arose from the metal vessel and a voice called to them over a speaker, “What’s the password?”

The children panted heavily as Hector pulled himself onto the vessel. They glanced at each other and shrugged with confusion.

“Please?” Duncan tried, sitting nearest to the camera and hugging himself tightly in an attempt to warm up.

When the lid didn’t open, Isadora huffed, “VFD?”

Still nothing.

“Sugar bowl?” Quigley tried, running a hand through his dripping hair and feeling the air bite through his scalp. He tried to raise his right arm but the electrifying pain returned and he grimaced.

There was another pause and the children began to believe they might die like this, frozen to death on top of a ship that wouldn’t open for them because they didn’t know the password. Duncan leaned forward and rested his cheek on the cold metal, closing his eyes.

“Please help us,” Quigley begged softly from behind him.

Just then, a heavy lid opened and all four survivors gasped and cheered. Hector ushered the children in before climbing in himself and pulling the heavy lid closed above them. Quigley climbed down using his left arm but this went unnoticed because Duncan hissed in pain as his right foot came down on each rung. His siblings and Hector made a mental note to check on that as soon as possible.

“Hello,” a familiar voice greeted as they reached the base of the submarine and all three triplets snapped their head forward, suddenly forgetting their dripping clothes and shivering arms as they saw the hook-handed man standing in front of them.

Duncan and Isadora yelped in fear and jumped back. Isadora grabbed Quigley and pulled him behind her protectively. He frowned suspiciously at the man until he remembered seeing him on the top of the mountain and he knew this man was part of the troupe that stole Sunny Baudelaire from her siblings.

Even Hector looked worried, believing he recognized the hook-handed man from the court rooms of the horrible village from which he escaped.

“You are a monster!” Isadora pointed an accusatory finger at the hook-handed man and Duncan pulled Quigley toward the ladder, ready to push him up so they could escape to freedom.

“Please wait!” They all turned to see a girl about their age with triangle glasses and dark hair. She was wearing a blue captain’s hat and a jumpsuit decorated with Herman Melville on the corner. “Please don’t leave. Are you the Quagmires?”

This worried the triplets and they glanced at each other hesitantly before responding. They didn’t appreciate being recognized right now with so many people wanting to capture them and apparently knock them out of the sky. Isadora finally nodded slowly and Fiona let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, this is happy news! We received a distress signal from VFD and we were sent to find a ‘Q. Quagmire’ located on the Anwhistle Aquatics entrance. But on our way, we received further instructions to find all three of you Quagmires and a ‘Mr. H’ in a hot air mobile home that was under attack. I guess those horrible eagles did this, huh?”

Hector nodded solemnly before asking who he had the pleasure of speaking with.

“I’m Fiona Widdershins, captain of the Queequeg.” She said proudly, holding her head up high.

“I am Hector,” he nodded in response.

“Why are you working with that nefarious villain?” Quigley whispered to her and nodded his head toward the hook-handed man.

“He is not a villain. In fact, he is my co-captain. You have to respect both of us if you want to be rescued,” she crossed her arms threateningly before the hook-handed man nudged her and shook his head disapprovingly.

“They are being distasteful,” she protested.

“How would mom feel about you talking to guests that way?” He whispered back with an expectant look.

“Mama isn’t here,” she grumbled and pouted her bottom lip out in a way that showed she was a child trying too hard to act like an adult in a situation that she wasn’t ready for. “And they are hardly guests. We came all of this way for them and this is how they are talking to you.”

“Their distrust is fair,” he admitted before addressing the Quagmires. “I am very sorry for everything that I have helped put you through.”

“Put us through?” Isadora hissed.

“You kidnapped us and put us in the bottom of a hollow elevator,” Duncan crossed his arms over his chest. “You stuffed us in a horrible fish statue-”

“And that ridiculous fountain,” Isadora added.

“-And kept us there for several days. You are the reason we had to escape to the sky. You are the reason we were separated from our friends. You are the reason for so much disaster and grief in our lives, you miscreant,” Duncan finished, his eyebrows drawn together and a frown plastered to his face. Quigley remembered his mother at that line and lowered his head sadly.

To everyone’s surprise, the hook-handed man nodded in agreement. “I admit, I have made a lot of mistakes. I am trying to fix what I can and I am very sorry to have hurt you,” he paused a moment before adding, “I promise, I am not a bad person.”

“Oh yes you are, monster,” Isadora growled.

“He’s not a monster,” Fiona said firmly. “He is my brother and his name is Fernald.”

“Those aren’t mutually exclusive,” Quigley muttered. 

“You will address him as such. And you will show us respect if you want to stay here,” Fiona snapped.

“We don’t want to stay here,” Duncan shook his head hurriedly. The three triplets turned to the ladder and Duncan motioned for Quigley to climb up.

“Wait!” Fernald called to them in a worried voice. “We came here to rescue you. Please allow us to take you back to land. We only want to help and I can even wait in a separate room the entire time you are here.”

Hector glanced at the children before sighing. “We do need your help.”

Isadora’s face showed deep betrayal and she turned to Hector but before she could open her mouth, he held up a hand. “We need to get that looked at,” he said, pointing at her forehead.

Confusion passed through each triplet and Duncan and Quigley looked at their sister. They saw a cut on her forehead with blood steadily leaking out and running down her cheek, pooling in her hair and school uniform jacket. Isadora blushed deeply when she realized she was bleeding. Duncan gasped and covered his mouth while Quigley stared at her with his mouth hanging open. The two triplets wondered how they could have missed something like that but they both slowly looked down at themselves and realized they missed a lot while recovering from the sea.

Their clothes were torn in several places and they noticed matching scratches on their arms and legs. Quigley’s right shoulder screamed at him and threatened to swell. He still had difficulty hearing out of his left ear and the back of his head pounded. He vaguely remembered hitting something while struggling in the ocean. Duncan noticed scant blood pooling under his socked foot and thought of the pain climbing down the ladder.

The chaotic waves were unforgiving to the Quagmire triplets.

There was an uncomfortable silence that followed, finally broken by a new and booming voice, “Hey there, you kiddos! Where are your shoes?”

A smiling, bearded man stepped into the room with three girls following close behind. They no longer wore their Snow Scouts uniforms but Quigley quickly recognized them from the group he joined in the mountains. He gave them a quick wave and they returned the gesture, recognizing his face from the moment just before he was offered a fencing mask from their scout leader Brucie. They each remembered seeing the other on top of the mountain among the chaos and the room felt colder for the four of them. Fernald noticed and lowered his head in shame.

Duncan and Isadora did not know any of these people and they shuffled uncomfortably, looking at their soaked socks.

“Well, it’s okay! Many homes require people to remove their shoes at the door,” The man informed them joyfully and removed his own shoes. “Here, now you can feel more comfortable!”

“This is the rest of our crew. We have Brie, Margot, Follete, and Phil,” Fiona introduced each of the newcomers. The man, Phil, waved happily. “Phil is our cook.”

“And I’ve learned some fun new recipes that I didn’t have before our last group of guests!”

~~~

Fiona, Fernald, and Phil spent the next several minutes explaining why they needed to examine the four guests for injuries. They informed them that being thrown around in the harsh waves with debris was dangerous and they needed to be treated for such wounds. Admittedly, the Widdershins siblings did most of the work while Phil just told the guests how happy he was to have them here. The three scouts stepped away, not wishing to be present for the argument.

The Quagmires tried to interrupt throughout their presentation but Hector shot down their protests with a warning look each time. Fiona started naming off terrifying infections with long complicated names that occur when wounds are exposed to ocean water and the Quagmires apprehensively agreed after great consideration. The Widdershins guided them into the next room but they remained huddled together by the entrance.

Hector volunteered to go first to show the children that it was safe and not at all scary. He removed his soaked shirt and stepped out of his shoes and socks. He was very fortunate and escaped the water mostly unscathed, showing only a few scratches on his arms and face for which he did not require stitches. He quickly assured his hosts that these scratches were nothing to worry about and waved them away to tend to the children instead, for whom he was very worried.

Hector motioned for Duncan to step forward to the center of the room and Fiona instructed he strip down to his underwear so they could check for injuries. He complained loudly but the adults ignored him and Fiona rolled her eyes with a groan.

“We don’t have time for this,” she snapped at him and pulled his school jacket off of his shoulders until it was bunched at his elbows. Fernald shook his head at her and reminded her to be gentle. She must have understood that being soaking wet and stripped of clothing in front of family, previous kidnappers, and strangers alike would be terrifying and she softened her demeanor significantly before pulling his jacket off and discarding it onto the floor.

Duncan huffed as Fiona unbuttoned his shirt and removed it while he peeled out of his pants and socks. Everyone froze for a moment as they looked at him flushed with anger and embarrassment, wearing only underwear and a frown. He almost asked what was going on but he looked down at himself and saw a large, purple bruise coloring the majority of his chest and belly. He hugged his torso tightly and shivered in the cold while his siblings had to turn away from seeing their brother like that.

“That’s really bad, right?” Isadora whispered while Fiona felt his ribs for breaks and pressed on his belly to check for painful spots.

“Not too bad,” Fiona confirmed and the Quagmires and Hector shared a moment of relief. “Nothing is broken and these bruises will heal on their own.”

When they addressed his arms, he tried to shake his head and walk away like he saw Hector do but he didn’t get far. Despite Hector’s own refusal of care, he sternly instructed Duncan to hold still and allow them to disinfect and bandage his arms. Duncan huffed again and complained that this was unfair but Hector shushed him and said he would understand when he was older and caring for 3 young children. 

Duncan whined softly as the disinfectant burned his arms and Hector had to quickly grab the wrists of his siblings to keep them from intervening.

“Okay. Now let’s take a look at that foot,” Fernald said nervously. They all noticed Duncan holding the majority of his weight on the foot opposite the one tracking blood in the submarine. Fernald directed him to sit in a chair and Fiona lifted his foot up. Isadora covered her mouth and turned away again and Quigley took an involuntary step back. Fiona’s eyes widened for a brief moment but she recovered quickly and pressed a cold wash cloth to the bottom of his foot. When she pulled it away, it was soaked with sticky blood.

“Alright, this will all be okay. It’s just a cut and we are going to clean it and sew it up. Is that okay?” Fiona asked carefully, pressing another wash cloth to the bottom of his foot. Duncan winced.

“No, I think it will be fine without th-” Duncan tried to pull his foot toward his chest and out of her grasp. Hector appeared next to him, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder and shaking his head. Duncan closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. “Fine.”

“How bad does it hurt?” Fernald asked softly, pulling out the sewing kit and threading the needle with surprising ease for one with two hooks.

“It only hurt when I climbed down the ladder,” Duncan lied, not wanting to worry his siblings further. He noticed Isadora was still facing away from him and Quigley looked like he might be sick.

“Quagmire, this will be pretty rough,” Fiona warned sadly, her eyebrows drawn with grief. “The bottom of the foot is a sensitive spot and this is right at the arch...” Duncan gulped and looked at Hector, who still stood close by and offered a look of encouragement. “Ready?”

Duncan shrugged but quickly covered his mouth with his hands as she poured the disinfectant on his foot, muffling the scream he had lodged in his throat. The initial sting felt like fire. As it turned into a throbbing pain, he removed his hands and breathed heavily. Fernald gently took a hold of Duncan’s ankle from his sister and held the threaded needle up to his foot, watching him and waiting for the okay to proceed. Duncan took in another deep breath and nodded slowly. The Widdershins and Hector all held him firmly in place and Fernald carefully made the first stitch. Isadora wanted to interject and suggest someone else make the stitches but she stopped when she noticed that Fernald really was doing an impressive job using two hooks.

The next several minutes were nearly unbearable for Quigley and Isadora as they listened to their brother cry out in pain. Hector held him to his chest and rubbed his back to provide comfort while he sobbed into his shoulder. Duncan unfortunately required several painful stitches. He was beyond thrilled when they finally finished and wrapped his foot in a clean bandage. He graciously accepted a large, fluffy towel and blue jumpsuit from Phil. He slipped into the jumpsuit that matched those worn by the Queequeg crew and he wrapped the towel around his shoulders.

“You were so brave! Now you can come to the kitchen with me and help make dinner!” Phil exclaimed cheerfully. The Quagmires tried to protest but Fiona assured them it was fine and Hector patted his back and nodded. Duncan tried to stand up on shaky legs but Hector quickly stepped forward and bent down in front of him, instructing him to climb on his back. Duncan gladly passed up the opportunity of standing on his sore foot and Hector carried him piggy-back into the kitchen alongside Phil.

“Your turn, Q. Quagmire,” Fiona pointed at Quigley. He glanced nervously at his sister as they led him to the center of the room and she gave him an anxious smile. He stripped down to his underwear one-armed and with great difficulty and he dumped his clothes with Duncan’s.

“Well this is clearly dislocated,” Fiona murmured, reaching out to his right shoulder. He took a step back in anticipation but bumped into the table. “I’m going to pop this back into place before it swells any more. This will hurt but only until it’s back in place. Ready?”

Before Quigley could shake his head or respond, Fiona stepped forward, placed her palm on his right shoulder, and pushed it back into its socket. He let out a shocked yelp but sighed in relief as the throbbing pain finally ceased. He flexed his fingers and closed his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Don’t thank us yet. That’s just the first problem,” Fiona responded, guiding him away from the table and back toward Fernald.

“This is some bump on the head,” Fernald murmured and Fiona carefully ran a thumb over the back of his scalp.

“What?” He turned his head to hear out of his better ear, before hissing in pain at the contact with his tender head.

“You are hurting him,” Isadora called out with intensity but the Widdershins ignored her.

Quigley tried to step away from the pair running their fingers and hooks through his hair but Fiona grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. “You Quagmires never stay in place,” she chastised gently before raising her fingers and snapping loudly in his left ear, the sound popped and echoed in the submarine. Isadora opened her mouth to object but stopped when she heard Fiona’s question.

“Can you hear this?” Fiona asked, facing Quigley. He frowned and listened while she snapped again.

After a moment, he shrugged and muttered, “Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Fiona repeated his answer and snapped in his right ear. He flinched away from the noise quickly.

“Yes, I can hear that!” He stated while Hector returned to the room.

She smiled apologetically and snapped again next to his left ear. He drew his eyebrows together and brought his own hand up to his ear and snapped. It was very faint. 

He pondered this for a moment before shrugging apathetically. “I was in the mountains and I had to walk in the snow for a long time before I could find a lift. After that, I was stranded on the laboratory entrance, then I was in the sky, and then I fell into the ocean. It’s probably just temporary due to overexposure to cold.”

Fiona and Fernald glanced at each other. “I suppose so,” Fiona muttered. “If it doesn’t resolve in a day, it might be permanent so we should keep an eye on that.”

Quigley had light bruising on his back and a cut on his lower left leg. He hissed as they poured the disinfectant on his arms and leg and wrapped it with a clean bandage. He muttered a ‘thanks’ before stepping away and rubbing the back of his head. Hector handed him a warm towel and matching jumpsuit that he put on immediately. Fernald gently requested that he stay awake for a few hours in case he had a concussion. Quigley realized then how exhausted he was and he hated his possible concussion for keeping him from sleep. Hector smiled encouragingly at him and directed him to the kitchen to wait with Duncan and Phil. He glanced nervously at Isadora, not wanting to leave her alone, before he was ushered out. 

“Alright, you.” Fiona picked up a clean, wet wash cloth and motioned Isadora forward. She sat down in the chair and Fiona cleaned her forehead. “This is also a nasty-looking cut. I might have to sew it, is that okay?”

Before Isadora could refuse, Hector said, “Yes. Do what you have to do.”

Isadora wanted to complain but stopped when she saw Fiona remove the heavily red-stained cloth. After listening to Duncan being sutured, she became very anxious and nausea flooded her stomach and head. Fiona noticed and held her hand to soothe her for a moment.

“It’s really okay. My brother and I are very good at this. Your scar will even be super light!” Fiona smiled kindly. Isadora wanted to say she didn’t care about a scar but she was immediately distracted by the first aid sewing kit making a reappearance.

“It’ll probably just heal on its own, right?” Isadora asked, her voice higher with fear and she stood up to take a hesitant step back. “It’s just a cut, those heal by themselves.”

“No, Iz,” Hector said calmly, using the nickname that only he had for her. She watched him nervously and looked like a trapped animal ready to bolt out of the room. “It’ll be quick. And you are a brave girl. You are going to do this and it will be okay.”

“Plus you were just in very cold water so the pain won’t be as bad because your pain receptors will act poorly and-” Fiona nudged Fernald and shook her head at him, wordlessly asking why he thought this was an appropriate time for a science lesson. He quieted and turned back toward Isadora, who was still staring wide-eyed at the sewing kit. She considered asking if her brothers could come back and hold her hands but she was afraid it would sound childish and these strangers would laugh at her.

Fiona reached out to her and gently guided her back to the chair. “It’ll just take a few minutes,” she whispered and pressed the cloth to Isadora’s forehead as Fernald threaded the needle.

Isadora cried hard when her cut was disinfected and during the first few stitches. Hector hugged her closely, rubbing her back and whispering soft encouragements. After her nerves subsided, she continued to cry softly but she was able to hear her hosts speaking to her and offering stories as a distraction. When they finished sewing the cut, Fiona nodded proudly and stood back up while Fernald disposed of the needle and soiled thread.

“Alright, now let’s check the rest of you,” Fiona instructed and Isadora flushed with embarrassment. She didn’t think it was odd for her brothers to stand in their underwear but she felt silly to do it. Fernald and Hector left the room to provide her with privacy and they joined everyone else in the kitchen.

“So, you knew the Baudelaires?” Fiona asked while Isadora removed her skirt and stepped out of her stockings.

Isadora nodded and pulled her shirt over her head. “Yes, we went to school together.”

“That’s really precious,” Fiona smiled while examining a large bruise and slowly-bleeding cut on her leg. She pulled out fresh bandages and got to work cleaning the wounds. “I found the Baudelaires out here in the ocean when I was all alone. I was accidentally mean to Violet and I really wish I wasn’t. I was just afraid and confused, and that made me hateful. I didn’t have either of my parents or my brother at the time. It was just me and I had no information about VFD. I felt really alone.”

Isadora didn’t know if it was appropriate but she reached forward and hugged Fiona. She knew she was fortunate to have Duncan with her throughout her recent journey, even if it was a horrible journey. She couldn’t imagine not having him with her. She often thought about how Quigley was alone for so long and this broke her heart. 

Fiona smiled at her and thanked her for her kindness.

“I’m sorry I yelled at your brother,” Isadora whispered, only wanting Fiona to hear that.

Fiona replied with fondness in her voice, “Please do not be. You must be traumatized; I can’t begin to imagine. I’m so sorry I yelled at you and your siblings. I really am so happy to have you here.”

“It’s okay. I would yell too if someone spoke poorly about my brothers.”

After a moment of comfortable silence, Fiona decided to go back to their original subject. “Klaus Baudelaire sure was cute though,” she giggled. “Those adorable glasses. I kissed him but I think he may have had his mind on someone else.”

“Probably my brother,” Isadora giggled quietly and Fiona burst into joyful laughter. Isadora figured this must be the famous ‘girl talk’ that she never had the privilege of enjoying while growing up with two brothers. She definitely didn’t understand why she had butterflies in her stomach while listening to this girl speak to her but she figured this must just be part of it.

“Which brother?” Fiona asked, tending to the scrapes on Isadora’s right arm. Their faces were close and Isadora felt her breath catch in her throat.

“Duncan,” she whispered and even though Fiona never received proper introductions, she assumed he was the first one she treated since he wasn’t ‘Q. Quagmire.’ Isadora added, “He was at school with me and I think they fell in love.” This confirmed Fiona’s hypothesis as she remembered his school uniform.

Fiona laughed warmly and exclaimed. “Oh, I love that! Klaus was such a doll and you three triplets are obviously so cute too. It makes perfect sense.”

Isadora blushed heavily and then she realized what was happening. She liked Fiona. Like liked.

“Thank you for saving us,” she breathed and Fiona winked playfully. The butterflies danced in Isadora’s stomach.

“We are happy to do it. And you would do the same, I’m sure,” Fiona said as she finished and stood up straight to fetch a fluffy towel and a jumpsuit for Isadora. “There you go, lovely!”

Isadora’s blush deepened as Fiona wrapped the towel around her shoulders. Isadora slipped into the jumpsuit with Melville’s portrait decorating the top corner.

“Thank you,” Isadora said again, hoping Fiona could see her earnest appreciation reflected through her eyes. Fiona did and now her cheeks were painted red with flush.

“Alright, let’s go join the others for dinner,” Fiona held Isadora’s hand and led her into the kitchen.


	3. A Dinner with New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quagmires quickly begin to enjoy their new lives aboard the Queequeg, even if it only lasts for one short day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! This chapter is mostly just fluff and happiness (right before these children are thrust into something else that is horrible. Nothing gold can stay, right?)
> 
> (I promise, the gold will stay soon)

Fiona and Isadora stepped into the kitchen and were both genuinely surprised to see everyone seemingly calm together. Fernald and Hector sat across from each other, talking about the logistics of the hot air mobile home and peeling potatoes. Quigley sat very close to Hector, his shoulder pressed against Hector’s side, and closely studied old ocean maps and blueprints of the submarine provided to him by Fernald. Duncan sat on the kitchen counter by the stove and grated cheese into a bowl resting on his lap. Phil stood next to him, stirring ingredients in a large pot on the stove and chatting excitedly to Duncan. Duncan was smiling at him and absently kicking his feet in front of him. Isadora wondered for a moment if she stepped into the wrong room or even the wrong universe. Everybody seemed so happy, and she noticed this observation included herself.

When they heard the girls enter the room, Quigley and Duncan turned toward them and happily shouted in unison, “Isa!”

Quigley stood up from the table and ran over to her, as if they were separated for weeks instead of minutes. This thought tugged at her heart though because this really was the case just the day before. Duncan considered jumping off the counter, but the idea of landing on his foot made his stomach turn uncomfortably and he groaned with frustration. Quigley, always in tune with his siblings, heard and took Isadora’s hand, pulling her over to the kitchen counter by their brother. Duncan set the cheese bowl and grater aside and held his bandaged foot up to Isadora’s face. “Who do you think will have the bigger scar?” He asked, grinning. Isadora rolled her eyes and laughed, pushing his leg away from her face.

“Definitely you! Your foot looked very bad, Dunny!” Quigley laughed and Duncan shoved him playfully. They all giggled at that and Isadora hugged them both fondly. “I’m serious, though. It was really disgusting,” Quigley muttered to Duncan, who peeked around his sister’s face to stick his tongue out at Quigley. He returned the expression but secretly felt relieved that his brother never had to see his own foot that way.

The three Snow Scouts were standing near a corner of the room, quiet and frequently shifting their gazes toward Quigley, who also felt pangs of unease in his chest. He softly excused himself from his siblings and gulped silently before slowly approaching the scouts. When he stood just a foot away from the girls, they all stared at one another uncomfortably. “It’s good to see you again,” Quigley finally whispered and after a short pause, the girls all lunged forward and hugged him. He was surprised but quickly hugged them back.

“We are so glad you are safe,” Margot cried. “We had no idea what happened to you after we were taken away from that mountain.”

“Yeah, especially because we saw those two new scouts again,” Brie nodded. Quigley knew she was referring to Violet and Klaus. He didn’t bother telling them that neither himself nor the Baudelaires were actually scouts during their time together.

“And Carmelita,” Follete added with frustration. “She helped enslave us on their stupid ship.”

“But we never heard about you again!” Brie cried out.

“We were worried that something terrible happened to you,” Follete whispered.

“I got away from those horrible people from the top of the mountain, but I was separated from the Baudelaires,” he informed them quickly as they all let go of each other. “How are you here? What happened?”

“Those eagles brought us to a beach and those dreadful people were there waiting for us,” Brie shivered. “They rented a strange-looking submarine and ordered us on it.”

“The submarine was shaped like a monster!” Margot provided.

“And we had to wait there for more bad people to show up. They were also on top of the mountain with us, but I don’t know their names. Carmelita was with them,” Brie continued. Quigley quickly pieced together that she was talking about Olaf and Esmé. “We had to row their ship for a long time, it was horribly exhausting. And Carmelita danced and sang the entire time.”

Quigley nodded sadly, unable to imagine the horror. Isadora and Duncan quietly groaned, accidentally eavesdropping on the conversation. They remembered their interactions with Carmelita well and they hated to revisit those memories.

“Then the bad people caught the two new scouts from our troop as well as a baby. And we met Phil!” Follete smiled at Phil and he waved happily to their small group.

“But then we were attacked by a real monster and we all abandoned ship!” Margot chirped.

“Well, sort of. We abandoned post but stayed on the ship. Eventually we returned to land again but Fiona and Fernald stayed on the ship with us and we left after that horrible man and woman and Carmelita got off.”

“Where is everyone else?” Quigley whispered, wary to hear the answer.

“Oh they are safe! Apparently all of our families were murdered horrifically while we were taken. But the other scouts had extended family to live with,” Brie shrugged.

“Not us though,” Margot whispered sadly.

“We are all alone,” Follete lowered her head.

“Well not anymore of course,” Brie clarified hurriedly. “Fiona was nice enough to offer us a permanent position as part of her crew.”

“Which we gladly accepted. And we found Fiona’s real ship, the Queequeg, which I guess was borrowed by the two new scouts. We returned the monster submarine, got the full refund for returning it safely, and bought some food and supplies! Fiona received a distress call and here we all are!”

Quigley smiled fondly at his fellow scouts. Even though he was undercover at the time, most of them were kind and showed him camaraderie during his stay in the mountain. “I am so glad that you are safe,” he said earnestly. “Do you know what happened to the Baudelaires-oh, the two new scouts, I mean?”

“They must have made it back to that same beach,” Brie shrugged thoughtfully. “That’s where we found the Queequeg and made the submarine switch. We didn’t find them on board either.”

He expected this answer but it still hurt him to hear it. He wanted to see his friends again and he wanted to know they were safe. His chest throbbed and he nodded sadly. The scouts saw his dismay and hugged him again. “We know you three were friends,” Follete murmured as she patted his back. “We saw you three sneaking away together that night in the mountains. I am sure you will see them again.” He was unable to express how much he hoped that was true.

At that moment, Phil announced dinner was ready and whatever anxiety was left over from everyone’s initial introductions dissipated entirely with the rise in excitement for food. Isadora helped Duncan off of the counter and the entire crew and guests sat together around the large kitchen table. Sitting with new friends for dinner particularly seemed to make Fernald happy and he wrapped his arms around his sister, giving her a hug. She groaned dramatically but didn’t push him away and the Quagmires understood.

Phil began to dish out large bowls of hot cheesy potato soup and Fiona stood to address the triplets kindly. “Alright, Mateys. I realize I never asked you Quagmires for your names. Would you like to introduce yourselves?”

The Quagmires nodded and provided their names shyly in the sudden spotlight. Fiona smiled at each of them as they spoke to her. Isadora felt another flip in her stomach at that and tried to ignore it.

Phil placed a bowl in front of Quigley and he leaned forward to smell his soup deeply as his mouth watered. Everyone complimented Phil intently and Quigley started crying after his first bite. The Widdershins, Phil, and the Scouts shared a worried glance but Quigley quickly explained this was accidentally happening because he loved the meal and he had eaten canned peaches for so long. Phil didn’t understand what he meant by this but he accepted his praise and smiled proudly.

The triplets were all very hungry and each ate two bowls of soup before there was a lull in dinner conversation. When everyone finished and put down their spoons, Phil stood up from the table and stated, “And now, I have a special surprise for everyone!” He walked to the fridge and opened it. When he returned to the table, he held a large cake decorated with pink frosting. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to eat the last cake that was made in this kitchen. To be honest, nobody did. So happy belated birthday to our dear old friend, Violet Baudelaire...” the triplets perked up at the mention of their friend and they sat forward, “-and a very special welcome to our new crew members.” He placed the cake on the center of the table.

For a moment, Quigley childishly believed Violet would jump out from under the table and say “boo.” She would smile and tell them she was hiding there the entire time until the perfect opportunity arose. When this didn’t happen, he sighed and his siblings slumped back down as well. They all wished she was here with them now enjoying this belated celebratory cake. They wished for Klaus and Sunny too.

Fiona nodded slowly and parroted Phil, “Aye. Happy belated birthday to Violet Baudelaire.”

“And welcome to our new crew,” Fernald added.

The triplets glanced at each other and then Hector. They hadn’t discussed the possibility of staying here and truly joining the Queequeg. As far as they knew, they were still heading back to land. But then what?

There was nothing waiting for them on land. Nothing and nobody. They had no idea where the Baudelaires or the evil kidnappers were, if any of them were even still alive. They pondered what their lives could be like in the water. They could see the world and be surrounded by their new friends constantly. It did not seem terrible to any of them. Hector smiled back at them encouragingly and they knew they could discuss that later. As of right now, they had very important matters to attend to: cake!

Phil sliced the cake and passed plates around the table. When Quigley got his piece, child-like excitement rushed over him and he grinned brightly. He could not remember his last bite of cake and he finished his piece before his siblings even picked up their fork. Duncan and Isadora exchanged a look of astonishment and tried to hold in their giggles. Quigley quickly regretted finishing his slice so fast after seeing there were no leftovers. His loving siblings noticed. 

Duncan stretched and patted his belly dramatically “Wow!” He exclaimed, a tad too loud. “I am so full and I can’t eat anything else.”

Isadora joined him immediately, “Gosh, me too, Duncan! I ate so much soup. I can’t eat one more bite of this cake.”

Fiona almost asked why they sounded like aliens pretending to be human and Phil spoke up to offer putting their food in the refrigerator for later but they both stopped when Duncan quickly interrupted and asked, “Quigley, want some more cake?”

“Yeah, mine too?” Isadora asked.

Quigley’s eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I can eat them. Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Isadora smiled and pushed her plate toward her brother. Duncan repeated her actions. Quigley somehow managed to eat the two additional pieces while other crew members were still working on their first, watching him in awe.

After he was finished eating, he breathed deeply and patted his belly. “I’m so full,” he whispered to his siblings, almost miserably. They giggled at him.

“Wow, I’m so glad you liked the food,” Phil smiled at Quigley, who thanked him profusely. Phil blushed deeply.

After dessert, the crew members set to work cleaning. Isadora helped Fiona and the scouts clear the table and Quigley stood by Hector at the sink to dry the dishes he washed. Duncan and Fernald packaged the left-over soup and put away the clean dishes. Phil tried to help but everyone agreed that he did enough for them. He blushed again.

~~~

After cleaning up, the children found themselves relaxing in the submarine’s library. They couldn’t see that it was evening but they felt their exhaustion pulling at their eyelids and limbs. Quigley sat on the floor and leaned his back against a large container in the corner of the room. He was still instructed to remain conscious in the case of a possible concussion and he tried to do this by reading mycology books. This subject didn’t particularly interest him and he’d much rather examine some more maps, but this library had very limited options. He occasionally raised his hand to snap slowly in his left ear and he was very pleased to find improvement.

Duncan sat next to him on the floor, heavily leaning on his brother’s shoulder. He had an open book in his lap, but he was no longer reading it. Instead, his eyes were fluttering heavily and he was losing the battle of trying to staying awake. Quigley considered poking him a few times but knew that was unfair to keep his brother awake just because he couldn’t sleep yet himself.

Fiona and Isadora were on the other side of the room, concealed behind a long table. They both rested on their stomachs and propped themselves up on their elbows, facing each other on the floor. They spoke in hushed voices about their lives before VFD interfered. Isadora told her about her interest in couplets and her favorite poets. Fiona told her that she wanted to become a mycologist and find a new species.

“If you find a new species, what will you name it?” Isadora asked, curiously.

“I don’t know,” Fiona laughed and flipped over to her back to absently draw her fingers in the air above her.

“You can choose anything in the whole world! What will you pick?”

Fiona pondered this question. “What do you recommend I name the next mycological discovery?”

“Maybe something entirely made up? Like ‘Jorgetes,’” She responded with a snicker.

“What is that word?” Fiona laughed and Isadora shrugged in response. “Maybe something that is not a made-up word? You know, most species’ names come from their Latin groups.”

“What about something silly though? I personally like misnomers. What about something like Marmalade Mushroom?” Isadora giggled.

“Marmalade?” Fiona covered her mouth to stiffen her laughs.

“Or George Mushroom!” Isadora suggested.

“George the Mushroom!” Fiona gasped.

“Or something entirely random…” Isadora tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Oh Fiona, I have the perfect name. Are you ready for this?” Fiona rolled onto her stomach and looked at Isadora with excitement and anticipation. “Coat Rack Mushroom!”

The girls burst into loud laughter, unable to contain their fit. The sudden noise stirred Duncan from his doze and he sat up quickly, looking around. When he realized they weren’t in danger, he yawned and stretched his arms up in the air. He turned to his brother and slurred sleepily, “Quig, I wanna go to bed now.” Quigley nodded sympathetically in response and Duncan leaned back on him, closing his eyes. He mumbled something else but Quigley did not understand this and when he asked for clarification, Duncan snored softly.

“You are so funny,” Fiona grinned at Isadora.

“Are you sure you don’t want to name it Coat Rack Mushroom? I won’t even demand much for the copyright, only 30%.” She laughed and Fiona chuckled, laying on her back once more.

“You know what? I will name the mushroom I discover after you,” Fiona smiled and Isadora blushed quickly. “And it will be the most beautiful mushroom in the entire universe.”

Isadora giggled again involuntarily and tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. Fiona saw but didn’t comment, just looked back at the submarine’s ceiling and smirking to herself.

Hector entered the room then and smiled at the children. “Alright my little ones, it’s bedtime,” he addressed the triplets. “You’ve been cleared for sleep, Quigley.” 

Quigley smiled in relief at that, thinking of how incredible sleeping in sounded. Hector noticed Duncan was asleep and he walked over to the two boys, bending over and carefully scooping Duncan up from his place next to Quigley. 

“We set up blankets and pillows for you three in the bunk room,” Hector informed them as he walked toward the exit of the room, with Quigley right on his heels. Isadora quickly stood up, not wanting to be too far from her brothers.

She paused to reach down and help Fiona up. “Will you come with us?” Isadora asked her. 

Fiona grinned, “Of course.” She clutched Isadora’s hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. They followed Hector together and neither noticed that they were still holding hands until they entered the bunk room.

“I call top bunk,” Fiona smirked as they entered a small, cozy room with several bunk beds lining the walls. She hopped up onto a top bunk and settled down. 

Hector carefully tucked Duncan into the bunk below her and gently brushed his hair away from his eyes and forehead. Quigley rubbed his own eyes fiercely, stifling a yawn, and slid into a bottom bunk next to Duncan’s, muttering sleepy nonsense to himself. Hector heard but didn’t bother asking what he was saying. He pulled extra blankets out from under the beds and spread them out over Duncan and Quigley. Isadora climbed onto the bunk over Quigley and found that her pillow was next to Fiona’s.

Hector made sure everyone was covered with blankets and offered to find more for them. When they denied for a third time, he wished them good night and left, closing the door behind him.

“I promise I will give you triplets a tour in the morning. And before that, we can have an amazing breakfast. We can have pancakes and whipped cream too. With strawberries.” Fiona smiled in the darkened room.

“Yes, please,” Quigley whispered from below Isadora and the two girls burst into laughter, not realizing he was still conscious enough to respond. He didn’t hear their laughter though because he closed his eyes and immediately joined his brother in sleep.

The three scouts entered the room then and all climbed into their own bunks in the room. They wished the triplets and their captain a good night and the room fell silent.

After several minutes, Isadora rolled onto her belly and faced the top of Fiona’s head. “I’ll write a whole book of couplets for you,” Isadora whispered suddenly, surprising herself.

“Oh yeah?” Fiona asked softly, thankful for the dark room hiding her blushed cheeks. “Please tell me one.”

Isadora was quiet for a long time. Fiona thought she fell asleep but then she heard a soft voice. “Your eyes are bright like the sun and the sea. And here with you is where I always wish to be.”

Fiona froze for a moment, holding her breath without noticing. When she realized she was taking too long to respond, she deflected to her joking attitude and asked, “Do they always have to rhyme?”

“Blasphemy!” Isadora gasped dramatically and flopped back down on the mattress, secretly thankful for the light mood.

“I really love it,” Fiona rolled onto her belly and became face to face with Isadora. They both smiled shyly at one another. “Thank you for that. You know, you really can.”

“I really can what?” Isadora asked.

“Stay here with us. Your whole family can stay here. You don’t even have to be part of the crew if you don’t want to, you can just live here with us forever,” Fiona whispered.

“Thank you,” Isadora smiled. “That truly means the world to me. To all of us, actually.”

Fiona nodded her head and they sat in silence comfortably for a minute.

“You said you kissed Klaus Baudelaire?” Isadora whispered. Fiona nodded. “How was it?”

“Are you asking because you want to kiss Klaus Baudelaire?” She asked.

Isadora shook her head, feeling sudden bravery in her chest. “No. I want to kiss you.” The bravery quickly diminished and Isadora stopped, her eyes wide. She could not believe she just said that out loud to Fiona and she anxiously awaited a response.

“Aye, then,” Fiona grinned. “Right now?” Isadora nodded and Fiona leaned forward, connecting their lips between their beds. The kiss was short and sweet and when they pulled away, Isadora giggled involuntarily. She hid her face in her pillow and mumbled, “thank you, that was very nice.” But of course, this sounded garbled to Fiona. 

Fiona chuckled though and rolled onto her back again. “Goodnight, Isadora.”

“Goodnight, Fiona.” Isadora fell asleep flushed and smiling.

~~~

A few hours later, Duncan woke up at the sound of a large crash outside the ship and the feeling of surprise as he was thrown from his bunk with a yelp.

They were unable to eat pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries in the morning. And the triplets never received that tour.


	4. Perilous Journey through Harsh Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quagmires are thrown into another horrifying situation as they end up in the freezing waters once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back for another chapter! This one is just a tad sad but I promise there is happiness on the horizon. <3

Duncan groaned in frustration from the submarine floor. In his fogged and rest-deprived mind, he wondered if he would ever have the opportunity to sleep through the night again or if he was destined to be tired forever now. His consciousness began to clear and he tried to stand up on wobbly legs and a sore foot. He looked around the room and noticed everyone else was still asleep in their bunks. After becoming vertical again, there was another large crash and he lost his balance, falling once more to the cold floor under him. He heard the other children in the room rise and ask soft questions, still groggy from their interrupted sleep. They all silenced quickly as a loud overhead alarm sounded and a red blinking light illuminated the room around them. The children glanced at each other with worry painted on their faces. Quigley quickly stepped out of his bed and helped his brother up from the floor, looking at him for a possible explanation but Duncan could only shrug and shake his head. They both pressed their hands to their ears to block out some of the harsh noise and they huddled together as the red light passed over their faces, heightening their fear. The Snow Scouts jumped from their bunks and looked to their captain for their first assignments.

“Aye!” Fiona shouted suddenly, remembering her position of charge and quickly getting to her feet. “Everyone to the control room!” She ordered and as the scouts ran out, she turned to Isadora and offered a hand to help her jump down from her bunk. Isadora was too panicked by the alarm to feel embarrassed that her brothers witnessed this gesture and they were too disoriented to notice.

Isadora landed on her feet and looked around the room with wide eyes, wondering what the danger could possibly be. “What is happening?” She yelled over the loud alarms.

“I don’t know, but we need to go meet with the rest of the crew!” Fiona called back and ran out of the room, still holding Isadora’s hand and pulling her along. Isadora threw a terror-stricken glance back over her shoulder, worried that her brothers would be lost behind forever, but she breathed again when she saw them running directly behind her.

“We are here, Isa!” Duncan yelled with reassurance; his hands were still pressed over his ears.

The alarm somehow became louder outside of the bunk room and the triplets felt the noise pounding in their teeth and temples. Duncan felt stabbing pain shoot from his right foot to his knee each time he took a step on it and his stomach ached with sudden nausea. He removed a hand from his ear and grabbed Quigley’s hand to mentally steady himself and find the energy to keep moving. The ship continued to shudder as they ran.

“We are almost there!” Quigley assured him loudly. He was glad he studied the blueprints before dinner because he now had a comfortable understanding of the ship’s layout.

Isadora heard her brother yell and turned around, making sure they were both still there and running with her. She saw they were and she reached out her free hand, which Quigley grabbed without hesitation. The four linked children turned a few corners and then ran into the control room where they found the scouts, Phil, Fernald, and Hector.

“Hector!” Isadora and Duncan shouted with relief and ran over to meet him, pulling Quigley with them. The three children wrapped their arms around him tightly and began to cry.

“It’s them, isn’t it?” Isadora finally asked Hector, tears running down her cheeks and her eyes red.

“It has to be. It has to be those horrible people. They came back for us,” Duncan cried and hid his face in Hector’s side.

“Who?” Quigley asked, stepping back and looking anxiously between his siblings and Hector. Hector watched the triplets with patience, but worry was hidden in his eyes.

“It’s Olaf!” Isadora cried out and let go of Hector, taking a step back and putting her hands on her face with rising panic. “He found us again and he will take us.”

“He’s going to put us in another fish!” Duncan screamed. His shaky legs and pounding foot caught up with him and his legs gave out from under him. Hector’s arm was still around Duncan’s shoulder and he quickly reached down to pick him up before he hit the floor. Being at eye level now, Duncan wrapped his arms firmly around Hector’s neck and pressed his cheek against the side of Hector’s head. Quigley saw the harsh fear in his siblings’ faces and he began to pant out short breaths.

“No, no. Absolutely not. You aren’t going back in a fish,” Hector confirmed steadily as he rubbed Duncan’s back. He turned to Isadora and added firmly, “Or a fountain.” His voice was calm and the triplets wanted to believe him but their heads still swam with great panic. Quigley kept hearing about this horrible fish and fountain and though he didn’t fully understand what happened to his siblings, he saw their reactions and found himself matching them in intensity.

“It isn’t Olaf,” a soft voice said from behind Isadora and she felt a hand close around her wrist. She nearly screamed fearfully but was greatly relieved when she turned to see Fiona looking intently in her eyes. “It is not Olaf.” She said again and Isadora nodded.

Fiona looked at Duncan and he slowly nodded too, his cheek rubbing against Hector’s hair, but he didn’t release his tight grip around Hector’s neck.

“Come and take a look at the screen,” Fiona gently pulled Isadora toward the table in the middle of the room and Hector herded Quigley there as well. They all peered at the screen and saw a large question mark circling their submarine. “We have seen this before but it usually swims by and leaves us alone.”

“Is it an animal?” Duncan asked softly and Fiona nodded.

There was another loud crash as the mysterious animal made contact with the submarine, accompanied by a jolt that threatened to throw everyone to the floor. The crew members and guests stumbled but regained their balance and grasped the table in front of them.

“Why is it doing that?” Quigley asked, looking toward the small round window on the side of the submarine but he did not see anything.

“It probably thinks we are food,” Fernald answered before running out of the room. The triplets watched him leave and then turned back to Fiona for an explanation.

“He’s going to shut off the alarm. The sound and light are attracting the animal to us. After he does that, we all need to stay very quiet and maybe it will realize it made a mistake and leave us alone,” Fiona whispered.

“What if it doesn’t leave us alone?” Isadora asked the question to which they were all dreading the answer. Fiona lowered her head and pondered this.

“In that case,” she finally stated, “we will have to climb back up to the surface and prepare to escape a flooded submarine.”

The triplets gasped and turned toward Hector, as though because he was their adult, he could miraculously fix this entire problem and send them back to bed with a glass of milk. He looked at their pleading faces and didn’t have the heart to tell them that he was out of his element here. He was prepared to live in the sky but not in the water. He drew them into another hug and provided encouragements, which were greatly appreciated.

There was another loud sound and jolt as the animal made contact with the side again. This time, Fernald called hurriedly to Fiona and she ran out of the room. She returned in a few minutes and looked terrified. “There is a leak in the submarine. We have to go up to the surface before it is too late. Those who hesitate-” she was cut off by another large noise and the submarine jarred to the side, sending everyone onto the ground. Hector carefully caught himself on the floor with his arm to avoid crushing Duncan.

“Crew,” Fiona ordered, standing up from her knees. “Be prepared for harsh waves above. Find the life jackets and safety boats. Be quick!” And she disappeared again.

The triplets and Hector looked at each other, all sitting on the floor with Duncan still wrapped around Hector. “You heard your captain, kids. Let’s make this one count tenfold,” Hector nodded firmly and helped them all up. 

Duncan stayed on his own feet this time (though he leaned heavily on the one opposite his bandaged cut) and he nodded firmly. “Let’s get ready.” The triplets scattered and helped the scouts prepare the supplies to safely abandon ship.

Quigley and Follete found a storage room with water slowly leaking in through a small crack in the side. They exchanged a terrified glance. “We need to go up before the pressure causes this ship to collapse,” she murmured and Quigley nodded worriedly. They dug through boxes until they found what they needed: life jackets. “Grab them all!”

Duncan joined Brie in the kitchen where she loaded duffle bags with cans of food and bottles of water. “We need everything that will stay edible even if soaked in water,” she informed him. “No breads. Grab those fruit!” Duncan obeyed and they filled the bags.

Isadora followed Margot past the room they initially arrived in and into a cupboard. Margot showed her the safety boats lining the walls. “When we are able to, we just pull these strings and they inflate. Perfect for an escape!” Isadora nodded and helped her carry the collapsed boats.

~~~

The triplets met back up just in time for another large jolt. This one was followed by a short scream and distant cursing. 

“That can’t be good,” Duncan whispered to his siblings and Hector entered the room, quickly walking toward them.

“Quagmires, listen to me very carefully. We are almost at the surface and you are going to jump right out. This ship is trying everything it can to fill up with water so we can’t be in it when it finally decides to sink.” They nodded in understanding. “Good. I know it is scary but when we are in the ocean again, try to remain calm. We have boats right?” Isadora confirmed they did. “After you get in the water, find whatever is closest to you and get in. Even if I’m not there. Okay?”

This startled the triplets. “Why wouldn’t you be there?” Quigley gasped. 

Hector placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it, smiling with encouragement. “That is just a worst-case scenario. I’m staying right here with you.”

Another large crash and the Widdershins burst in the room. “We are going now!” Fiona screamed and everyone ran toward the entrance while struggling into their life jackets. They reached the ladder and Hector helped each of the triplets fasten their life vests before sending them up. They didn’t notice the dried blood on the ladder that Duncan tracked in the following day. They didn’t notice the guests’ abandoned clothes still sitting in a pile on the floor.

And they didn’t notice Phil was missing until Fernald reached the ladder.

“I have to find Phil!” He called quickly and ran back. Fiona gasped at this and started climbing down the ladder to join her brother. Hector and her crew tried to stop her and the triplets cried out her name. But she was gone.

There was another crash and the submarine started to fill with water.

“GO NOW!” Hector screamed to the scouts who were leading the escape. They pushed together against the layer of water that still remained over them and finally lifted the lid. Everyone was relieved to see they reached the surface, but the waves were much harsher now than they were the day before. Freezing water lapped up the submarine and poured into the entrance, soaking everyone still clinging to the ladder. They climbed out and jumped into the ocean surrounding them just as the submarine tore apart at the sides. The triplets were once again thrown into the dark waves, rather ineptly.

~~~

Quigley came up again and breathed in deeply. He saw a large box floating by him and quickly grabbed it, halfway climbing on top until just his legs remained in the water. He looked out among the crashing waves and he imagined a shark swimming by and biting his legs off. He was unable to see anyone else due to the tall waves and he let out a small cry for his siblings, but he did not receive a response. He pictured their bodies floating in the cold water and his steadily-growing panic attack finally arrived. He began screaming loudly.

Isadora’s head broke the surface and she gasped for air. She noticed a small bedside table floating near her and she began to swim toward it when she heard her brother’s screams. She squinted into the bright sun’s wavering reflections on the water until she spotted Quigley several feet from her. She took in a deep breath and dunked back underwater, swimming towards him. She was very thankful for her early swim lessons and she shivered to think of what would happen now if she and her siblings were unable to swim. She finally reached Quigley and clutched the side of his box. She frowned with worry when she wiped the saltwater from her eyes and saw her brother.

He was still screaming and didn’t act as though he knew she was there at all. His knuckles were white from his tight grasp on the box. His eyes were glazed over and his face was wet. She wasn’t sure if this was ocean water or tears streaming down his face but she figured it was both.

“Quigley?” Isadora heard Duncan call over the loud water.

“Over here!” Isadora screamed and waved one arm vigorously above her head. Soon after, Duncan swam to them and joined in clutching the box. “Duncan, he needs our help.” Isadora gasped and they both looked at Quigley, still screaming.

Duncan wrapped an arm around his shoulder and squeezed. “We are here, it’s okay,” he whispered but Quigley did not react at all.

“Isa, I don’t und-” Duncan began, turning to his sister, but he was cut off as a large wave enveloped them. They resurfaced a moment later, coughing and still clutching to the box. Quigley stopped screaming and was looking around with lost eyes. “Well I guess that worked!” Duncan yelled to Isadora.

“Hey, can you hear me?” Isadora asked him softly, leaning close to his ear. He nodded but continued to cry. “It will be okay, I promise.” He shook his head, slowly at first but it became vigorous and panicked.

“No,” Quigley screamed, his voice wavering and hoarse. “No, no, no. We are all going to die!”

“Isa!” Duncan whined pathetically to his sister, afraid of what he was hearing.

“Where is Hector?” Isadora asked him hurriedly, but he shook his head, unsure. “Where are the lifeboats?” Duncan looked around with her, bobbing up and down with the waves.

They both shouted Hector’s name several times until their voices cracked and the need to quench their thirst tickled their throats.

“Isa, do you think Hector is-” Duncan began softly before he was interrupted by something that brought an unfathomable amount of joy to their hearts.

“Quagmires!” They heard Hector scream over the crashing waves. “Isadora! Quigley! Duncan!” 

“HERE!” They shrieked in unison and slapped their fists onto the box to create as much noise as possible. Quigley remained silent with wide eyes but his siblings believed this was at least improvement from his previous screaming. 

Hector spotted the triplets and swam toward them with one arm, his other arm wrapped firmly around a blown-up lifeboat. He reached them and exhaled deeply, crying hard.

“Thank god,” he muttered to himself repeatedly and pulled the boat over to float parallel to Isadora. He held the boat as firm as he could in the moving water and assisted her in climbing in.

“Get Duncan first!” She pleaded after she got into the boat. “Quigley needs help and we can both pull him in from here.” Hector nodded and pushed the boat around to Duncan, who climbed aboard.

“Come on, little one, it’s your turn now,” Hector instructed to Quigley, who looked at him with wide owl eyes and did not move. Hector wrapped an arm around his waist, pried him away from the box, and lifted him into the boat with the two triplets’ assistance in pulling his arms. Hector then climbed aboard himself and everyone panted with exhaustion and relief for several seconds before lunging forward into a large hug with Quigley smooshed in the middle.

“Oh god, I thought I lost you three,” Hector sobbed, alarming the two triplets and they pulled away to look at him. They had not seen Hector upset like this before and they didn’t know how to help him. They were so accustomed to Hector comforting them during their crying fits after waking up from a nightmare in the hot air mobile home and while mourning over their lost brother and even while receiving their stitches the previous day. Hector gasped in between hard cries and this made Duncan and Isadora join him in tears.

Even Quigley, feeling entirely dissociated from reality around him, frowned and leaned back to look at Hector with nervous eyes.

“We didn’t know where you were,” Duncan’s voice was pitiful and sticky with tears. “We couldn’t see you, and I thought-”

“We tried to call out to you,” Isadora ran her arm across her face, wiping away her tears. “And we were afraid that you-” she was unable to finish as another sob racked her entire body.

“Shhh,” Hector whispered and pulled the children back into a hug, pressing kisses to the tops of their heads. “I’m right here. We are safe.” They cried harder.

Several minutes later, they all felt calmer and Isadora asked Hector if he saw the Queequeg crew. Hector confirmed he heard them yelling while he was calling out for the triplets.

“Really?” Duncan asked, hope glinting in his eyes. “You think they are alive?”

“Yes,” Hector answered honestly. “I think they were pulled in a different direction though.”

Isadora stood up in the boat and screamed for Fiona. She received no response and fresh tears filled her eyes. She was happy to have her family here with her, but she wished for her new friends too. She hoped they were safe.

“Look,” Duncan whispered, pointing out into the water. They turned to see a duffle bag floating next to them and Duncan explained it contained food that he helped pack. Hector exited the boat to retrieve the supplies, careful not to tip the Quagmires into the water with him. This is an action that terrified Duncan and Isadora and they tried to discourage him from leaving them. The two triplets sighed in relief when he quickly returned to them.

“Okay,” Hector panted, feeling his growing exhaustion catch him. “We will be okay now.” He turned to Quigley and smiled sadly. “How are you doing?”

Quigley shrugged and whispered, “I’m okay.” Hector didn’t believe him but the triplet did not offer any further information so he decided to take what he was given with a nod.

“You were screaming in the water,” Duncan whispered to him. “And then you stopped moving.”

“Do you remember that?” Isadora asked cautiously. Quigley only shrugged again so Hector suggested they leave him alone for now and within a few minutes, Quigley fell asleep.

Hector, Isadora, and Duncan shuffled through the duffle bag and Hector was pleased to find a soaked blanket. He wrung out what water he could and draped it across the boat to create a shaded area for one lying flat in the boat. The blanket covered Quigley and protected his sleeping face from the sun. The two conscious Quagmires loved Hector more for this.

For the next several hours, the two triplets took turns sleeping next to Quigley and staying awake with Hector. The sea calmed by this point and they were floating in a way that would have been relaxing if they weren’t stranded with no signs of land or rescue in sight.

Duncan asked Hector where he thought they would end up when they finally came across land. He talked about the possibility of catching fish and what would happen when they ran out of water. Hector listened patiently and assured him that they would be fine when Duncan’s voice broke with the threat of new tears.

Isadora spoke to Hector about the Queequeg crew. She hoped they were alive and she wondered aloud if they would ever see them again. She admitted she would miss Fiona more than words could describe and Hector nodded, understanding. She voiced concerns that the Queequeg crew would not survive but Hector admitted that the Widdershins were far better suited for life on the water than their own lifeboat and therefore, they will be just fine.

They both told him privately that they were worried for their brother. Hector was too, but he did not say this out loud.

To their surprise and relief, Quigley woke up and seemed to be feeling much better. He gave everyone on board a long hug and cried about how happy he was that they were safe and together. He told them about his nightmares of everyone drowning and he wasn’t sure if they were his imagination during his panic attack or images that plagued him during his dreams but he shivered fearfully.

“There were huge sharks with so many pointy teeth,” he whispered in a shaky voice and everyone hugged him tighter and kissed his head.

For dinner, they opened the duffle bag and Duncan pulled out the first can: peaches. Quigley groaned and crawled back under the blanket, claiming he was no longer hungry. His siblings chuckled sadly but pulled him back out by his legs and talked him into eating a can of tomato soup.

Hector and the Quagmires made the best of their dreadful situation and they spoke happily while laughing through the evening.

~~~

The Quagmires woke up the next morning to see large purple bags under Hector’s eyes. It took them nearly a full hour to convince him to sleep while they watched for danger. He made them each swear to wake him immediately if they noticed something out of the ordinary or if they saw something that could be land or another boat. Or if they just wanted to talk to him some more. This touched their hearts and they agreed to his terms. He slept for several hours and woke up in the evening during dinner. They all shared a can of beans, two apples, and a bottle of water.

~~~

The following morning, Quigley woke up covered in a layer of sweat and panting. He unbuttoned the top portion of his jumpsuit and pulled it off of his shoulders and chest, tying the sleeves around his waist. When this didn’t provide him with relief, he moved to take his jumpsuit off completely. Hector saw this and immediately refused to allow it, asking Quigley if he had any idea what temperature it was outside. Regardless of the bright sun, the air was still very cold and the biting wind was a nearly-constant nuisance. Quigley only shrugged and scooted away from Hector and his siblings.

“It’s too hot,” he whined and ran a hand through his sweaty scalp.

“Quig, it is not hot,” Duncan whispered to him.

Hector reached forward and placed his hand on Quigley’s forehead before the child could duck away again. Quigley groaned in defeat when he felt someone else’s skin touching his sticky forehead and Hector cursed softly to himself, inhaling deeply.

“You have got quite a fever. Put your top back on properly and lay back down. I want you to try to rest and hopefully this will break on its own...” Quigley tried to argue with Hector but the man shook his head. “Right now.”

It wasn’t often that Hector spoke to the Quagmires with that level of firmness but he was exhausted and worried and feeling a bit ill himself. Quigley frowned but obeyed him and laid back down under the blanket while buttoning his jumpsuit back up. Isadora asked Hector if Quigley would be okay after her brother fell asleep again and Hector nodded, promising that he would be just fine.

Quigley muttered loudly in his sleep but did not fully wake up until late that evening, over 12 hours later. Hector felt his forehead and was relieved to find he was still feverish but with some improvement. He ate an orange and then slept until noon the following day when he was drawn back to consciousness by the sound of his brother yelling.

“We have to find land right now!” Duncan was shouting, mostly into the ocean. “I need to get off of this horrendous boat!” Isadora shushed him but he continued his protest. Hector listened patiently and Quigley rolled back over, covering his ears and falling back asleep.

They did not find land that day.

Quigley’s fever finally broke the following morning. This resolution brought peace to all four passengers. He had sudden energy and appreciated his breakfast of half a banana.

The triplets were always thirsty but they refused to ask for more water than what Hector gave them during meals. Their supply bag was steadily running out and they talked softly about the possibility of dying that evening. They usually tried to stay away from this sort of sorrowful conversation but the triplets were afraid and Hector was too tired to change the subject.

Duncan wondered what it would feel like to die and Isadora wondered where they would go. Quigley asked what would happen to their bodies and then quietly mentioned they could possibly see their parents. Hector sighed and turned away from them to sleep.

~~~

When Hector woke up, he blinked into the bright world around him and wondered what time it was. He saw a child resting next to him but couldn’t see who it was yet because his eyes were still blurred with sleep. He rubbed his eyes slowly and then heard something that made his heart stop.

“Hector!” Isadora screamed to him. “Hector, I think I see land!”

He quickly crawled out from under the blanketed shelter and followed Isadora’s pointer finger. At first, he saw nothing but water reflecting the bright sun into his eyes but he squinted harder into the distance. And he saw land.

“Iz!” He shrieked and scooped her into a hug. “You did it! You found land!”

She laughed and yelled loudly into the sea. They heard sleepy noises and turned to see the remaining triplets crawling out from under the blanket, also rubbing sleep from their eyes.

“Boys, look!” Hector cried with happiness in his voice that seemed to disappear several days ago. “Your sister saved us!”

They all celebrated enthusiastically for a moment before hurriedly emptying the remaining food from the duffle bag into the boat. Hector folded the bag tightly to use as an oar and while he brought them closer to land, they ate a breakfast composed of their remaining can of peaches. Quigley was so excited that he didn’t even notice what they were eating, and Hector made sure everyone had at least a couple bites.

“What will we do first?” Duncan asked eagerly, practically vibrating in his seat.

“Run,” Quigley whispered. Everyone understood this, thinking about the terrible ache in their legs.

“Lay flat in the sand,” Isadora smiled.

“Find out where we are,” Hector answered honestly. They nodded in agreement at that.

When Hector became tired, Isadora took a turn using the home-made oar and steering them to land. This was followed by Quigley taking a turn. And then Duncan.

“It’s getting a little rocky here,” Isadora muttered right before a loud pop echoed on the water. They looked down to see a hole in the bottom of the boat, slowly leaking water.

“We are just a few yards away from the shore, we can walk the rest of it,” Hector jumped out and helped Quigley and Isadora out of the boat.

The triplets and Hector tried to stand in the water but quickly noticed their shaky legs refused to support them. They fell into the water on their knees and giggled when Isadora and Quigley found the cold water reached their chin. Duncan was still trying to slide out of the boat and he cried out, “My legs won’t work!”

Hector chuckled and stood up slowly, turning his back to Duncan and motioning him to climb on. Duncan wrapped his arms around Hector’s neck and was lifted out of the boat.

Hector, Isadora, and Quigley walked carefully in the water, watching out for the crabs scurrying between their legs, which made Quigley cry out fearfully. Isadora held his hand and they continued shuffling their feet in the sand. Hector carried Duncan on his back the whole way and he pulled the water-filled boat alongside him because no decent person leaves waste in the ocean when it can be avoided. When they reached the beach shore, they cheered happily and Hector helped Duncan stand up on his shaky legs.

“We did it,” Isadora cried out, tears suddenly springing to her eyes and running down her cheeks. “We made it back!” Duncan hugged her tightly and they jumped up and down with excitement.

Quigley screamed loudly into the air around them before taking off on a slow jog, which is all he could manage on his current sea-ruined legs, but he enjoyed it.

Hector laughed joyfully as he watched the children. He took in a deep breath and allowed himself to feel hope that he didn’t realize he rid himself of over the previous days. He turned to see a large sign informing them they landed on a ‘Briny Beach.’

“That sign says this is Briny Beach. Do you know where this is?” He asked the children as they settled down.

Duncan and Isadora shook their heads, but Quigley thought about it for a minute. “I think I’ve seen it on a map before,” he muttered and pondered further. “Oh yes! We are right outside the city. Hector, where do we go now?”

Hector frowned. “I honestly don’t know. I can’t take you all back to my old home. I would be thrown in jail for using a machine and you three would be adopted by the town and forced to do their chores.” Quigley shot a worried look to his siblings but they nodded sadly, already having heard the horror stories from Hector during their time in the mobile home.

“Perhaps we should walk to town and look for a hotel,” Duncan suggested.

“We don’t have any money,” Isadora shook her head.

“And what if those bad people are there?” Quigley asked with a shiver. “There’s no way we could escape them now.”

“It was just a suggestion,” Duncan huffed quietly and crossed his arms.

“And a great one,” Hector draped an arm around his shoulder. “We need to be very careful about this, Quagmires.”

They all thought about it and when Isadora almost suggested they stay on the beach for a few days, someone else spoke up. It was a voice that dragged Duncan and Isadora back to their previous life in memory, their life before Hector and Quigley’s return. Before Fiona, Phil, and the Snow Scouts. Before Fernald was more to them than a kidnapper. This was a voice that made them both excited and worried at the same time.

“Isadora and Duncan Quagmire?” They turned to see Olivia Caliban walking toward them on the beach.


	5. A Momentous Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector and the Quagmire triplets meet Olivia Caliban and they are promptly invited to her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to another chapter :) <3

“Ms. Caliban?” Duncan asked with his eyebrows raised so high, they hid beneath his hair. He could hardly believe his eyes and Isadora’s mouth fell open in surprise. If they were honest with themselves, they half expected to see Olaf and his troupe here at the beach waiting for them. They wouldn’t be surprised if they saw Esmé either. Isadora even had slight hope deep in her chest that the Queequeg crew would have arrived at this same shore just prior to them. The two triplets certainly did not expect to see the kind librarian from their horrible days at boarding school. 

Seeing her briefly reminded Duncan and Isadora of the Baudelaires and their blossoming friendship that was halted too soon by perilous circumstances and a great distance.

Then they remembered being kidnapped from the library that final and dreadful night. They were haunted by the vivid memory of being grabbed and dragged out of the room by Fernald, who was just the hook-handed man to the children at the time, followed by being thrown into the trunk of a smelly old car for several hours. Their legs became stiff and they panted with panic while they waited in that trunk and they wondered what would happen to them when Olaf returned. Duncan imagined their missing brother chastising them for allowing a kidnapper to stand between them and the exit. Isadora imagined their dead parents shaking their heads with disappointment as they laid there helpless. They both believed they failed their new friends and they cried together throughout the night, receiving severe threats from the troupe who demanded they stay quiet.

They hadn’t realized they were kept in that trunk all night until the lid was thrown open and they were yanked out into the morning sun. The car was moved to a far side of the boarding school campus where nobody would notice it and investigate. The two triplets tried to scream toward the school building, but they were violently forced into the back seat already packed with Olaf’s helpers. An older woman drove the vehicle to the front of the school and the Quagmires were made to wait with the troupe. Minutes later, they heard a muffled yell and looked out of the rear windshield to see Olaf running toward them, appearing panicked himself and clearly escaping a failed attempt to steal the Baudelaires. Despite themselves, the two triplets grinned at this. Isadora and Duncan then saw Violet and Klaus running after them, running to save them. They perked up with hope, but Olaf was too fast and the moving car made the rescue impossible.

They screamed to their friends, trying to warn them about VFD, the sugar bowl, and the secret codes. Their voices quickly became hoarse and their throats itched with thirst after a night of crying. Isadora managed to duck under the troupes’ grabbing hands and lean out the window. She yelled into the clean air before a shiny, sharp hook reached right in front of her face, knocked her spy glass from her hand, and pulled her back inside the stuffed car.

This memory sent a shiver down their spines and worked to extinguish their joy. The two triplets hadn’t allowed themselves to think of their previous journey for several days and now that the memory returned like an avalanche, they felt they were being buried alive by their trauma. They also realized they were suffering through a moral dilemma because they did not understand how the same person could do that to them and then be so kind on the submarine. Fernald sutured their wounds, helped make a delicious meal, and toasted to their welcome. The contrast made their skin crawl.

Olivia, however, smiled brightly as tears filled her wide eyes. She ran toward the two triplets and her sudden movement brought both Quagmires back to the reality that they were miraculously here with a friend. A grin stretched across their faces and they ran toward her with arms open wide. Olivia reached them and dropped to her knees in the sand, her bag discarded behind her, forgotten in the moment. She embraced the children in a strong hug and cried.

“I was beginning to think I would never find you. I thought you were lost forever,” she whispered, clutching them tightly.

“Find us?” Isadora asked as they pulled away from the hug. “Were you looking for us?”

“Of course. I am so sorry for everything that happened to you two. It is unfair that you have had to go through any of this,” Olivia lowered her head, feeling the guilt of failure weighing down on her. She sought out the two triplets as soon as they were taken from the school and she loathed herself for not being able to find and save them much sooner. Duncan and Isadora saw this sadness in Olivia and began to cry themselves before hugging her again.

“Where have you sweet children been all of this time?” Olivia asked when they pulled apart a second time and she rested a hand on both of their cheeks. They leaned into the comforting touch.

“That’s sort of a long story...” Duncan murmured with a shrug.

“And not a good one at all. We will catch you up later but right now, I think we should hide somewhere in case those horrible people try to come back.” Isadora informed her with newly-found urgency in her voice as she realized how exposed they were on the shore.

“Oh, you didn’t hear about the fire?” Olivia asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

“What fire?” Duncan furrowed his eyebrows. From the research and personal experience they held, they believed that any fire was more than likely preceded by Olaf and his troupe.

“That large hotel downtown-I think the name was Denouement-it burned down with several people trapped inside. The town newspaper claimed child actors set the fire so naturally, I performed my own research and found that the court held a trial for Olaf just prior to the fire.” She smiled fondly as she informed the children of the next piece of information. “The Baudelaires were there at the hotel.”

Duncan and Isadora grinned widely and Quigley gasped from several feet away, carefully listening to this stranger’s words.

“Did they get out safely?” Duncan asked hurriedly.

“Where are they?” Isadora looked around the beach, as though they would magically appear next to her.

“I don’t know,” Olivia whispered with a sad grimace. “I believe they did make it out of the building safely. I saw several reports of a boat parachuting off of the hotel roof. Some people even claimed seeing four people inside.”

“Four?” Isadora pondered. “Maybe it is them and they found someone to join their journey!”

“That seems likely enough!” Duncan replied optimistically. He refused to entertain the possibility that their friends were trapped in that burning building.

~~~

Several feet away, Quigley continued to frown and he took a slow step closer to Hector. “Who is she?” He asked under his breath. Hector had never met this woman and he shrugged in response. “This doesn’t feel right. Why was she here on the beach? What if we can’t trust her?”

“Your siblings certainly seem to trust her. And we trust their judgement, don’t we?”

Quigley shrugged hesitantly at that and crossed him arms. “What if they are being overly naïve and she is working with the bad people?”

“Duncan and Isadora don’t seem like overly naïve people to me,” Hector responded easily but continued to watch the reunion before him with careful eyes.

“They are kids, they are naïve ,” Quigley huffed and Hector laughed out loud at that before he was able to stop himself.

“Now, remind me again but aren’t you three exactly the same age?” He asked, still chuckling around his words.

Quigley did not find this funny though. He shrugged again and muttered, “I have been overly naive before.” He thought back to readily trusting Jacques Snicket only because he was the first adult he saw after his own mother left his life permanently. As far as Quigley could tell at the time, Jacques was a good man; but thinking back on how quickly he took to him after their meeting made Quigley frown deeply. He regretted joining this noble-seeming organization and going on the ‘sugar bowl-retrieval mission,’ even if it did bring him back to his siblings.

Since rejoining Isadora and Duncan, they found themselves suffering through multiple perilous situations. In Quigley’s young mind, he wanted to find somewhere safe to place the blame for their troubles. He wanted to blame Jacques, the Queequeg crew, and even this stranger for their misfortunes, though he deeply knew they were not to blame. When he allowed himself to think about it, he believed that he alone was the reason for their grief. He thought the destruction and situational turmoil was due of him and that he was a jinx. His siblings were safe in the air with Hector before he showed up and brought terrifying danger along with him.

This deep guilt was nearly suffocating, and he felt his throat become tighter with the threat of tears. He rolled his eyes, angry with himself, and continued to frown.

“Plus, we don’t have any other options,” Quigley realized Hector was still speaking to him in a low voice while he was lost in his thoughts but didn’t bother asking Hector to repeat himself. Quigley watched his family closely.

~~~

“Regardless of the hotel fire, we really should move to somewhere safe. At least until we know all of the dangerous people are gone,” Isadora murmured to her brother, who nodded firmly. 

Duncan addressed Olivia and said, “Ms. Caliban, it really has been wonderful to see you again but we need to find a place to stay that is away from this beach.”

Olivia frowned. “Nonsense. You have already found a place to stay. You and your friends can come home with me until we get this sorted. Who do you have here with you?” She smiled and looked up past the two triplets to see who joined the Quagmires since she last saw them. She nodded politely to Hector, who returned the gesture with a smile, and then she turned to Quigley. She opened her mouth to introduce herself but stopped when she took in a better glance at the boy. She quickly looked back at Duncan and Isadora, comparing their appearances and figuring something out in her mind. Being under such an intense gaze brought a blush to Quigley’s face and he looked away.

This hardly mattered though because even from this distance, she saw noticeable similarities, especially between the two boys. Her mouth threatened to fall open alongside a slew of questions but she was unsure how to phrase them.

“Ms. Caliban, this is Hector, our good friend,” Isadora pointed to the group’s adult and he waved. “He has saved our lives several times.”

“As this is Quigley,” Duncan said with pure excitement. “We found our brother!”

Olivia turned to the two triplets and began to cry again. “You did, didn’t you? That is truly amazing.” They agreed and gave her anther hug. “It’s so wonderful to meet you, Quigley,” Olivia told the third triplet as she stood to her feet again. Soft sand clung to the bottom of her skirt and she brushed it off carelessly. “Your siblings have told me so much about you.”

Quigley only provided a half smile in response until Hector gently nudged him forward, making him stumble for a moment and his blush deepened. He regained his balance and manners and walked toward his siblings and Olivia slowly. “Hello,” he said softly and extended a hand. Her smiled grew and she shook his hand with unmatched gentleness.

“Well,” Olivia said, wiping tears from her eyes. “You all are more than welcome to join me in my home.”

The triplets looked to Hector for confirmation and he smiled brightly and said, “That is a very generous offer. We would love to join you, if we wouldn’t be an imposition.”

“Absolutely not! I would be honored to have you four over. It is a far stretch from here, but we can take the trolley if you’d rather.” 

The Quagmires and Hector all declined that suggestion because they preferred to avoid as much person-to-person contact as possible until they knew they were safe.

As they started walking along the beach, Olivia introduced herself properly. “I am Olivia Caliban. I was a school librarian for a short time-”

“‘Was?’” The question fell out of Duncan’s mouth before he could stop it. Olivia was not bothered by the interruption and he continued. “You don’t mean that they fired you?”

“Oh no, they did not fire me. I quit after discovering that crazed Olaf stole you two away and the Baudelaires were taken elsewhere by that useless banker,” Olivia clarified, rolling her eyes and becoming frustrated just thinking of her conversation with Arthur Poe in his office before meeting Jacques Snicket. “And I have been looking for you two and the Baudelaires ever since.”

“Thank you,” Isadora said with a small smile. She didn’t realize someone was trying to help them, even if from afar.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t bring any snacks for you triplets and your friend, Hector. I was just out on a walk and I truly didn’t think I would find you here on the shore. As soon as we reach home, I’ll get you some food and water.” Everyone thanked her in response. “You should know in advance, this shore will soon become very rocky and difficult to walk on. My brother and I used to play here as children and we always went home with double the scratches, sometimes even triple. We can carry on here or risk moving to the street?”

“Rocks,” Quigley answered quickly and everyone nodded in agreement.

“If it comes to a swinging, swing all, say I,” Olivia smirked and led the way.

Quigley recognized the quote from ‘Treasure Island’ and raised his eyebrows. His dad used to read it to him when he was sick and unable to fall asleep at night. He quoted back, “We must go on, because we can’t turn back.”

Olivia turned and smiled brightly to him. “Looks like I have a fellow Stevenson fan in my midst. Thank goodness for that, you can never have too many good companions. And what better way is there to become companions than over a good book?” Quigley smiled back involuntarily but he quickly frowned again as a blush colored his cheeks. He didn’t like the idea of getting chummy with this stranger. Not yet anyway, even if she did know ‘Treasure Island’ quotes by heart.

They reached the division between the sandy shore and the rocky shore and the Quagmires requested a short rest, realizing how exhausted they felt. Hector obliged this for a few minutes before they continued. Olivia was the only one wearing shoes and the triplets whined softly as the sensitive bottoms of their feet were pressed down in the sharp rocks. Isadora’s toe got caught between two rocks and she tripped, falling down and scraping both knees and palms with a small yelp. Hector lifted her onto his back while she wiped quiet tears from her eyes and picked gravel out of the lines in her hands.

Duncan was walking on his toes to avoid stepping down on his healing arch and as a result, he stumbled several times. Quigley noticed this and wrapped his arm under Duncan’s armpits to assist him in walking, something Duncan appreciated greatly.

They quickly found that Olivia was correct, the walk to her home was several miles. She and Hector watched the children carefully and took breaks when they noticed any hint of struggling, even if the Quagmires didn’t voice it. Isadora confirmed she felt better and she switched places with Duncan, who was panting and wincing with pain after he was no longer able to walk on his toes. 

“Almost there,” Olivia informed the children finally and the Quagmires looked up to see a small cottage in the distance. It was a simple one-story home and located at the end of a street with few additional houses in sight. “We can go in through the back door and nobody will see.”

~~~

They reached the cottage and Olivia ushered everyone inside as a heavy breeze picked up around them. They walked into a small living room with a couch, armchair, and at least 20 sealed boxes stacked throughout.

“Did you just move?” Duncan asked curiously, leaning forward to see the state of the next room which happened to be the kitchen. He noticed several boxes on the counter in there as well.

“I’m getting ready to move. I am going to a house a few miles down the road. It is closer to the sea and with no neighbors. It is a change that I am really looking forward to,” Olivia answered. “Now, come on into the kitchen. Do you all want water and a sandwich?”

Hector and the Quagmires thought about their last meal consisting of canned peaches split four ways and they all nodded enthusiastically. 

“We would love that,” Hector answered and Olivia fetched a pitcher of water and four glasses. She guided her guests to the table and invited them to sit while she moved boxes to the floor to make room. She returned to the table moments later with food and they thanked her profusely while quickly consuming their water and sandwiches. Olivia watched them sadly and wondered how long it had been since their last meal.

“Some of the plates and glasses are already packed away but I can still serve tea, if you’d like some?” Olivia asked and Hector agreed, thanking her again. They felt brighter in spirit after quenching their thirst and eating a meal, but this is a feeling that unfortunately did not last long.

“I can’t wait to hear how you found each other,” Olivia smiled and looked between Quigley and his siblings. “And there is an extra bedroom here and even more room in the new place, you all can stay here as long as you want.”

“Hector can stay here too, right?” Isadora asked. Olivia nodded and looked to Hector.

“Actually,” Hector began timidly and Isadora turned to him with a look of panic decorating her face. Duncan had a similar expression.

“Hector?” Duncan whispered softly. Quigley looked quickly between his siblings and Hector, afraid to hear more of this conversation.

Hector took in a deep breath before answering, “I have to go look for the Queequeg crew. They need assistance and I can help them.”

“Oh, that’s actually a really good idea,” Isadora exhaled in relief and smiled, which surprised Hector greatly. “We will come too.” Hector sighed and grimaced after her next statement.

“Yeah, we can borrow another boat and go out to find them,” Duncan grinned. “I bet we will find them in no time at all. Quigley is an expert map reader, isn’t that right?” He elbowed his brother, but Quigley was still frowning, knowing something that his siblings didn’t yet. He had been left behind by an adult not that long ago, and just before Jacques Snicket turned away from him for the last time to go look for the kidnapped Quagmires, the man had a similar expression to the one Hector was wearing now. Duncan continued, “He can look at an ocean map and find exactly where they will end up! We just need to find an ocean map...”

“Great! Duncan, you go find an ocean map and I’ll pack a bag. Wait, do we even own a bag anymore? We need to go back to the beach and find the one that we accidentally left there. We can all gather some supplies and be ready in just a few minutes and-” Isadora started to stand up from the table, but she was interrupted.

“Absolutely not. You all deserve a home right now,” Hector explained and Isadora’s face fell. Her pained expression haunted him and he had to look away.

“You don’t want us anymore?” Isadora whispered.

“It’s not that, I think you-” Hector began quickly.

“But weren’t we good helpers?” Duncan’s lip quivered and he looked at Hector with sad puppy eyes.

Hector sighed softly. He expected this to be a painful conversation but he felt ill-prepared to look at the intense grief on such small faces. He noticed Quigley was looking down at his lap and frowning deeply. Olivia was watching everybody closely.

“The best helpers I could ever hope for,” Hector smiled encouragingly and stood up from the table to hug them tightly and kiss the top of their heads. “I’ll come back to you, I promise. And I will bring our new friends with me.”

“There’s no point in going. They are already dead,” Quigley stated in a voice so firm and finalized that his siblings gasped.

“You shouldn’t say that. They are probably fine,” Duncan tried to match his brother’s confidence but his voice wavered significantly. He had no idea if his friends were safe.

“They are definitely fine,” Isadora corrected him in a whisper, but her eyes betrayed her words as they filled with terror at the thought of Fiona in danger.

“No, they aren’t. They all died in that ocean and you know it. Going out there is a waste of time,” Quigley scowled and Hector stepped toward him.

“Come with me. Right now,” Hector ordered, leaving no room for arguments. Quigley stood up from the table and they walked out of the room, leaving the sound of Olivia comforting the two crying Quagmires behind them.

Hector guided Quigley back outside to the back porch for privacy. The wind picked up even more since they were last outside and the sun was just below the horizon, casting long shadows across the earth. Hector leaned against the railing and looked at Quigley, who was standing away from him with his arms crossed defensively over his chest.

“What was that about?” Hector asked cautiously. When he didn’t respond, Hector continued, “Are you angry with me?”

“I wish you wouldn’t just dump us here,” Quigley huffed and turned away from him.

“Why are you so apprehensive about having a home?” Hector stood up straight and faced Quigley’s back. He was not equipped in handling frustrated children and based on his previous reactions to confrontation in his village, he was not great at that either.

“It’s not a home if you aren’t here,” Quigley muttered, still facing away. He knew he was acting childish and ridiculous and that Hector was actually doing a very noble thing by volunteering to go out and search for the Queequeg crew. But he felt angry and scared and he did not like the idea of losing Hector to another situation that he believed to be a jinx-like circumstance caused by just himself.

“That isn’t very fair of you. She is offering you and your siblings a safe home. Don’t you want that?” Hector asked in a soft voice.

“I want you.” This touched Hector’s heart deeply and he had to concentrate hard on holding back tears, knowing this was not an appropriate time for him to cry. Hector nodded to himself and moved to respond when Quigley turned toward him, sniffling and with fresh tears running freely down his own face. “Please don’t leave us,” he whispered.

“I need to go help them,” Hector said firmly.

“Then can we please go with you?”

A tear rolled down Hector’s cheek as he shook his head and answered, “No.”

Quigley lowered his head to sob into his hands. Hector stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug that did not remove any pain from the situation.

~~~

Hector hugged the Quagmire triplets for a long time, making promise after promise that he would come back to them.

“Please be safe,” Isadora begged him, her voice scratchy while crying harshly.

“I will, I promise. Hey, aren’t we the miracle group?” Hector asked, trying to smile to the children even though he was crying too.

“The what?” Duncan asked between sobs.

“The miracle group. Think of all that we’ve survived. We left my town to live in the sky, we found your brother, we survived the sea not once, but twice. We are the miracle group,” Hector smiled.

“All of us?” Isadora asked, running an arm across her eyes. She knew she was stalling but she wanted this conversation to continue forever. 

“All of us,” he whispered firmly and hugged the three of them once again before standing up straight. Olivia packed him a bag of supplies and provided him with money to rent a submarine. She offered him a bed until morning but he wanted to start looking as soon as possible. They offered to walk him to the docks but he requested they stay safe inside.

He stood in the doorway and looked back at his children, smiling brightly with wet eyes. “I’ll be back. I love you.”

Then he disappeared into the night.

~~~

The Quagmires sat quietly in the living room while Olivia prepared the guest bedroom for them. Duncan sat close to Isadora on the couch and he was drawing aimlessly on the arm rest with his finger, occasionally tracing the square pattern. Isadora rested her head on Duncan’s shoulder and watched the clock hands move on the wall across from her. She sniffed occasionally but her cheeks were dry now. She didn’t believe she had any water left in her to continue crying. They both felt a horrible emptiness in their hearts.

Quigley sat in the armchair and felt isolated from his family. He felt bad immediately after making his comment about Hector’s journey being pointless. And now, several minutes after the incident, he nearly hated himself for it. He knew he upset his siblings and he wanted them to know he only said that because he was afraid for Hector to leave them. He fidgeted with his hands in his lab and shook his legs.

When the silence became too much, Quigley whispered to his siblings, “I’m really sorry.” They both turned to look at him and waited for him to continue. He stared down at his knees as he did so, “I am sure they are all alive and safe somewhere. And I do believe Hector will find them and come back to us. I’m really sorry I said all of that bad stuff earlier. I was just mad and I don’t really know why now.”

“We know why you said it,” Duncan said kindly. “We don’t like being left behind here either. But it was kind of mean.”

“Hateful is more like it,” Isadora added. She couldn’t find it in her to actually be mad at her brother, but she did feel hurt.

Quigley lowered his head further and closed his eyes. “I’m really, really sorry,” he whispered as fresh tears threatened to escape behind his itching eyes.

“It’s okay,” Duncan looked at Isadora, who nodded. “We aren’t mad at you.”

“I promise, we are not mad at you,” Isadora confirmed. Seeing her brother’s shameful face stabbed further at her aching heart. After a few silent minutes passed, Isadora suddenly snickered and stated, “It was sort of shocking; you aren’t usually the family pessimist.” Quigley raised his head, the hint of a grin pressed at the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah, that’s usually Isadora,” Duncan giggled and she reached over to flick his ear, making him laugh even more. 

“I am not!” Isadora protested. “Quigley, I’m not a pessimist, am I?” He only shrugged and began to laugh himself. “You two are the worst brothers in the entire world,” she announced dramatically, throwing her arms up.

Quigley quickly stood up from his armchair and dived onto his siblings. They all three shrieked with laughter at this.

The noise startled Olivia and she ran out of the bedroom to make sure everybody was safe. When she saw they were playing happily, she smiled to herself and stepped away before they noticed her and stopped. She never had children in the house with her and the sound of laughter carrying through the halls made her chest feel lighter.


	6. Reminiscence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evening Hector left, the children found themselves reminiscing over their past and talking about their possible future together after their beloved guardian will return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back :) This is another light chapter with some flashbacks and slight progress for our more anxious triplet.

The triplets wrestled playfully for a few minutes and ended up lying on the floor in a pile together, sweaty and panting softly. This was something they were seldom able to do in their old life and they all heard the echoes of their parents ordering them to stop ‘rough-housing’ on the furniture in the depths of their memories. One time when they were very young, Quigley had curiosity strike him during one of these exact moments and he asked his father what ‘rough-housing’ even meant and why it included the word ‘house’ since that was the very building within which the act was forbidden. He received an answer when his father lifted him up into the air and held him against his chest to tickle him relentlessly, leading to all three triplets shrieking with laughter. Their mother threw her husband a stern look for encouraging the dramatics, but they all saw her turn away in an attempt to hide a snicker of her own. None of the triplets mentioned this memory out loud to one another but they all felt their chests swell due to it.

Instead, they talked absently about what they would do and where they would go when Hector came back to them. Isadora was excited to have more of his cooking; she said it is the best food she has ever had the privilege of tasting.

“It literally made Quigley cry,” Duncan snickered playfully and Quigley pinched his arm, resulting in a squirmy yelp from his brother.

Duncan wished to play cards with Hector again. “He taught us how to play poker,” Duncan informed Quigley who nodded with understanding. “It was fun and I think I was getting better at it.”

“You weren’t,” Isadora teased and Duncan groaned with fake offense and made several gestures as though he was just stabbed in the chest by his sister. She laughed and softly patted his face with her palm until he joined in laughter with her. 

Quigley voiced his dream of seeing the whole world with his siblings and Hector. Isadora nodded quickly with a gasp and threw her arm over his stomach excitedly.

“We should go to Turkey,” she murmured in awe, her eyes were round and bright at that moment, reflecting her joy toward the world she wished to see.

“Yes, we have to go to Turkey!” Duncan cheered and waved his arms above his head at the prospect of it all.

Quigley looked between his siblings with an eyebrow raised in confusion. “Yeah, I guess so but why Turkey?”

“And then maybe Brazil...” Isadora whispered, looking at the ceiling.

“But why Turkey?” Quigley asked again, running his hand across the bottom of the couch absently to feel the textured squares under his palm.

“Because it’s called Turkey,” Duncan explained, and he and Isadora giggled together. Quigley wondered if this was an inside joke or if they were just being silly. When they didn’t provide any further explanation, he settled on the last theory and giggled too.

“All right, you three triplets,” Olivia called out as she entered the living room, emphasizing the word ‘three.’ She saw them peering at her from their pile on the floor and she smiled, “your bedroom is all made up for you. Would you all like to take a shower? Unfortunately, I only have my own clothing here but I laid out some sweaters and pants for you to change into after you are all cleaned up.”

Isadora and Duncan nodded eagerly but Quigley quickly became anxious at the thought of letting his guard down to take a shower. His mind swam with the terrifying possible situations that could arise while a locked bathroom door stood firmly between him and his siblings. What if those horrible eagles came back and stole them just like he watched the scouts be taken away? The thought of pounding helplessly on a solid door while he listened to his siblings scream on the other side reminded him of the night of the fire and he winced as though someone hit him. He moved to deny her offer but Duncan and Isadora were already standing up. He chewed on his lip, glanced at the front door with worry, and reluctantly stood up to follow them down the hall.

They walked into the spare bedroom together and saw a clean bed made with cozy sheets, blankets, and several pillows. The triplets stared at it for a moment, wanting nothing more than to dive under the covers and sleep for several days. Or to at least jump on the bed as though they were still seven years old. A few boxes were stacked in the corner of the room but that was the only hint that this wasn’t a permanent home for the three.

“I’m sorry I only have one bed in here,” Olivia apologized from behind them. “Some of you are welcome to sleep in my bedroom too and I can take the couch. That way, everyone will have plenty of space.”

“We’d rather just stay in the same room,” Isadora spoke up quickly and blushed at the speed of her outburst. Her blush dissipated and it was replaced with a relieved smile when she saw her brothers nod in agreement. “But thank you very much. This is absolutely perfect.” 

Olivia smiled, fully expecting this answer. She felt her mother would roll over in her grave and frown if Olivia didn’t at least offer her guests the extra space.

They stepped toward the bed and saw the sweaters that Olivia had mentioned folded neatly in a row. One was light pink with blue cuffed sleeves. The next was showed thick alternating stripes of green, orange, and yellow. And the last was lavender with white trims. The pairs of shorts were laid out next to the sweaters, all black in color and differing only slightly in length. Duncan grabbed the striped sweater because he loved green and Isadora wrapped her hands around the purple one because that was her favorite color. Quigley still didn’t like the idea of getting too comfortable here and he momentarily considered requesting to stay in his Queequeg jumpsuit out of defiant spite. The idea of putting on clean clothing, however, intrigued him greatly and his eyes drifted back to the comfy sweater. He wasn’t exactly sure how long he had been in that lifeboat, but he was sure he and his siblings carried every minute of it with them on their clothing. He picked up the pink sweater.

“Those sweaters are large so they should be comfy for sleeping. One of you can go ahead to the shower. The shampoo and soap are already in there and I placed warm towels on the sink,” Olivia informed them and before she could finish her statement, Duncan and Isadora raced to the bathroom. Olivia offered Quigley a supportive grin and he provided a half smile grimace in return.

Isadora reached the doorknob first and she stuck her tongue out playfully to her brother, who rolled his eyes but chuckled anyway. “Hurry up then, Isa,” He whined without bite. “Don’t use all of the hot water.”

“So bossy,” she muttered and closed the door.

Quigley rejoined his brother in the hallway as they heard the shower faucet turn on. Duncan knew Quigley felt wary about their current living situation and he guided him to the living room couch where they sat in a comfortable silence for a moment until Duncan asked, “How is your shoulder? And your ear?”

Quigley smiled genuinely at his brother. “They are fine. This lifts easily and it only aches sometimes,” he raised his arm and rotated it to showcase his great progress. “And my hearing is back to normal again. It was probably just because I was too cold for a long time.”

“And too sick...” Duncan mumbled, watching the clock across from them. “You had us worried several times.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Quigley drew his eyebrows together and involuntarily stuck out his lower lip in a slight pout. “I’m really okay now, I promise.”

“It’s just with the shoulder and your ear... and then the fever on the boat...” Duncan trailed off, not sure how he wanted to continue. He often remembered his brother screaming before the wave pulled them under only to be followed by a blank, unthinking stare. Quigley glanced at him sheepishly and so Duncan continued anyway. “And what happened before that...”

Quigley lowered his head as a flush spread across his cheeks. “I’m really sorry for that. I-”

“Oh, no!” Duncan clarified hurriedly and waved his hands in front of him in panic. “No, please don’t be sorry. None of that was your fault, I just uh-you know, if you ever need, or want, to talk about anything...” he shrugged and sighed to himself, wondering how he managed to make this conversation so uncomfortable for the both of them. “You just seemed very upset and then far away, sort of like you weren’t in your body.”

“That’s honestly how it felt,” Quigley frowned thoughtfully before dismissing it and smiling at his brother. “Creepy, right? Like my body was just a shell?”

Duncan snickered, “A shell? Like you’re a beetle or something?” Quigley giggled into his hand and closed his eyes with a nod. “Was it like a-uhm- a panic attack?”

Quigley shrugged. “I don’t know. But maybe. I was definitely panicking.”

“I sort of had moments like that when I was with Isa in-” he stopped with sudden consternation blanketing his eyes. He and his sister tried not to disclose details of their recent stops and Duncan did not want to talk about the way his harsh panting became wheezing after they were shoved in the fish statue and tossed around carelessly. He didn’t want to admit that he tried to violently claw his way out while his sister screamed and begged him to stop thrashing his arms and legs because he was inadvertently hitting her. He didn’t hear her shouts until his own troubled wave passed over him and he cried onto her shoulder for hours afterward, apologizing repeatedly for the bruises he knew were forming while she comforted him.

“Dunny, what happened to you-?” Quigley started in a quiet voice but Duncan quickly interrupted, as though he didn’t hear his brother now.

“Regardless, I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m glad you feel better now.”

Quigley shrugged, understanding this was obviously not an ideal time to ask Duncan to reveal his traumatic story. “How is your foot? And your uhm... entire torso?” Quigley motioned to Duncan’s chest and belly. He and Isadora both had a difficult time seeing their brother even now without thinking of the large purple bruise that colored his body. Quigley tried to smile with encouragement but he felt a wave of nausea sweep over his stomach at just the thought of Duncan’s injured skin.

“It’s way better, look!” Duncan smirked and got to work unbuttoning the top portion of his jumpsuit before Quigley was able to stop him. Quigley sucked in a deep inhale and held his breath in preparation, but he was pleasantly relieved to see that his brother was telling the truth. The bruising was mostly a deep yellow now and much smaller in width. “And my foot hurts but it’s okay. I was worried about being in the ocean with it but I guess they wrapped it well enough.” He raised his foot in the air and grabbed it with his hands, pulling it next to his face to get a better look at the sutured area. 

Quigley looked at the pink scar and smiled while he said in awe, “It’s not even red. We got lucky.”

“Lucky because we met people who were really good at this,” Duncan replied with a nod.

“How’s Isa’s head?” Quigley gasped suddenly. “I know we’ve looked at her every day but with everything else going on, I don’t even know what her forehead looks like right now?”

“It looks alright to me,” Duncan smiled and patted his brother’s back. “I know what you mean, though. It feels like we were on that submarine months ago... maybe even years.”

“Or lifetimes...” Quigley murmured.

“It was only a few days ago, you know that?” Quigley nodded in response and Duncan continued, “I think these stitches need to come out. Isa’s probably do too,” he studied the bottom of his foot again and then returned it to the ground. “I guess I should ask Ms. Caliban to help us with that...”

“No, that’s not necessary,” Quigley said quickly with a firm shake of his head. He didn’t like the idea of anybody touching his siblings right now, especially not while wielding a tool that can cut thread. He childishly pictured a large butcher knife moving menacingly towards Isadora’s face and Duncan’s foot. “I can do it for you.”

Duncan fixed him with a nervous grimace. “Uhm, Quig, I don’t know about that. Have you ever taken out stitches before?”

“Well, no but-”

“Then I think we should just ask Ms. Caliban. I’m sure she will be able to do it without difficulty.” Quigley didn’t respond so Duncan scooted a little closer to his brother. “I know you are anxious,” Duncan’s voice dropped to a whisper even though they were alone in the room. Olivia has allowed them privacy they didn’t need to ask for by excusing herself to pack boxes in her room before Isadora even turned on the shower. Quigley startled at the sudden change in conversation and harsh taste of honestly tossed his way. “But I promise, Ms. Caliban is a very good person. She is nice and smart and funny. And she was the only person to show us kindness at that ridiculous school before the Baudelaires arrived.”

Quigley watched him with wide eyes, but he did not know what to say so he shrugged half-heartedly and waited for his brother to continue.

“We will be okay here with her,” Duncan kicked his feet out in front of him and paused before he continued. “That being said, if you want to leave, we will.” Quigley frowned with wary surprise. “I think it’s important that we all feel safe in our home, right? And if you don’t feel safe here, then we should leave. We can all run away tonight if you want.”

Quigley looked down at his lap and shifted closer to his brother. “Uhm...” he stuttered and chewed on his lower lip, thinking.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now, of course. Just think about it and let us know. And don’t worry about what Isadora will say. I know for a fact that her first priority is for all of us to feel safe. If you want to leave, we will go away from here together.”

“Thanks,” Quigley murmured because he didn’t know what else to say. “I’ll think about it.” Duncan smiled and wrapped his arms around his brother.

They sat quietly after that and listened to their sister singing faintly in the shower. Neither of them could recognize the song but they tapped their feet and waved their arms in the air anyway until they both fell into a fit of giggles.

When she emerged again, the smell of soap followed her out of the bathroom. Her cheeks were pink from the hot water and her wet hair was pulled up with a clip. The baggy sweater fell nearly to her knees, hiding the black shorts underneath. The sleeves were long enough to cover her hands but she looked very comfortably and happy.

She approached her brothers, grinning widely. “That was perfect!” She squealed and sat down on the armchair, sinking into the cushions and tilting her head back.

Duncan looked to Quigley and nodded encouragingly but Quigley did not feel ready yet, so he shook his head in response. While Duncan showered, Isadora asked Quigley if he thought they would ever see the Baudelaires again. His heart ached as he thought about how much he missed his friends. He wondered if Violet ever thought of him.

“I really hope so,” he breathed.

“Tell me more about saving Sunny?” Isadora pleaded softly and so he did. He purposefully omitted the parts were Esmé pulled a knife on him and his friends and the moment where they believed Sunny had been murdered after they finally reached the top. He even left out the part where the eagles stole the troop. That part filled him with unmatched terror and he didn’t wish to force that shuddering feeling on his siblings.

When he finished, he looked at his sister. Her eyes were closed but he knew she was not asleep, only listening and seeing the pictures he drew for her behind her eyelids. “Isa?” She opened her eyes and looked at Quigley. “What song were you singing in the shower?”

She frowned and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, thinking hard for the answer. She was unable to find the song title in the recesses of her mind and she couldn’t even hum it again at the moment. “I can’t remember. Isn’t that a silly thing? It was just in my head moments ago...”

“I miss music,” Quigley whispered with honesty. His sister did too.

Duncan showered without singing but he looked equally giddy when he stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to his siblings. He was clad in his over-sized sweater and he held his arms up to avoid the sleeves rolling over his hands. The two triplets couldn’t remember their last hot shower, but they knew it was before they were sent to Prufrock Preparatory School. As their vice principal told them, the showers were only accessible to those staying in the dorm rooms and neither the small wooden shack nor the broom closet were considered a dorm room. They were forced to wash up at the bathroom sink and neither felt clean.

When a newly-cleaned Duncan returned to the couch, they both looked at Quigley expectantly. “Go shower, you smell horrible,” Isadora informed him as she reached across and poked his arm. He flushed with embarrassment at that so Isadora quickly continued, “I only say that because I also smelled horrible.”

“Me too,” Duncan nodded. “This soap smells very good though, you’ll like it!” Duncan held his arm to Quigley’s nose, who rolled his eyes and chucked, but inhaled anyway to please his brother. When he didn’t move, Duncan stood up from the couch and pulled Quigley up by his arms, guiding him to the bathroom. “We will be just right out here. We won’t move, I promise.” As if to confirm this statement, Isadora waved to her anxious brother from the couch.

Quigley frowned at both of them and began to complain, “This doesn’t seem-” but Duncan smiled and gently closed the bathroom door between them.

Quigley huffed, staring at the door for just a moment before he turned around and hesitantly examined his new environment. The shower was small and concealed by a floral-pattern cover, though he caught a glimpse of soap and shampoo bottles lining the shelf. There was a final towel sitting on the sink waiting for him. He laid his clean sweater and shorts over the towel and slowly lifted his eyes to look at his reflection in the mirror. His own sorrowful expression startled him, and he quickly looked away with a soft gasp. He turned the shower knob to the cold setting labeled with a blue C but he did not step in. Instead, he knelt, fully dressed, and pressed his cheek to the cold tile floor to peek under the door. He didn’t see any footsteps pass under the door, but he also figured that his siblings would wait for him on the couch just like they promised. He sat back up and pressed his ear to the door, refraining from leaning on it and giving away his position with a rattle of the lock.

He heard soft chatter and exhaled in relief. He felt ridiculous for this, but he was unable to ignore his imagination plaguing him with the idea that someone would break in and steal his siblings from his life once again like that dreadful fire did. He sat like that for a few more minutes, his ear pressed to the door and the cold water running fruitlessly down the shower drain next to him. After counting to fifty (to avoid suspicion), he quickly stood up, turned off the faucet, and shucked off his jumpsuit in favor of the borrowed clothes. He reached out for the doorknob but stopped and quietly huffed at his own oversight. Of course his siblings would spot his dry hair and immediately know he was too afraid to step into the shower where he couldn’t be on watch. He ducked his head under the sink faucet and flipped on the water switch, wincing as the cold water grazed his scalp and left a trail of raised goosebumps that spread to his arms and legs. After he felt his lie was adequate, he turned off the sink, wrapped his towel around his shoulders, and stepped out into the living room to rejoin his smiling siblings.

As he got closer, they eyed him suspiciously but welcomed him back to the living room anyway, knowing he simply wasn’t ready yet. 

The triplets shared their favorite memories of living at home for the several minutes that followed. Isadora recalled the large purple-cushioned library chair. When she was very young, she would absently pick at a loose thread in the arm while her mind wandered into whatever book she consumed herself with that day. Her mother gently asked her to stop pulling on it and eventually had to cut the thread before she split a hole in the arm. Duncan giddily retold stories about the three of them climbing trees in their backyard. They remembered playing as monkeys in the tree branches and throwing their arms around before Duncan and Quigley both managed to fall and their parents stopped allowing them to climb until they were a little older. Isadora reminded them how frustrated she was to lose her climbing privileges because her brothers were clumsy, but they knew she had long-since forgiven them. Quigley remembered when their father decided he wanted his study walls to reflect the blue sea rather than the faded yellow that had dampened the mood of the room. Their parents clad the triplets in matching overalls, and they all grabbed paint brushes to assist in this grown-up task. This naturally ended in a paint splatter fight and bright laughter to match the new walls.

When the children stopped laughing and found a lull in their reminiscence, Duncan looked to see his brother smiling comfortably and he decided to take a chance. “Want to try again?” He asked softly. Quigley paled in response, knowing exactly what his brother was referring to. Quigley felt his joy quickly leave his body in place of fresh panic.

“What do you mean?” He asked, feigning ignorance in hopes to buy himself even a few extra seconds.

“Do you want to try again to shower?” Duncan clarified. Before Quigley could open his mouth to deny any accusations, Duncan sucked in a breath between his teeth and continued, “We heard the water hitting the wall the entire time.”

“You still smell bad,” Isadora muttered.

“We saw your shadow under the door.”

Quigley groaned and a blush colored his cheeks. He decided honesty was the best route at this point and he turned to his siblings. “I’m scared,” he whispered.

They met his gaze with soft, understanding eyes. “We know,” Duncan reached forward and pulled Quigley into a hug. “But it really is okay. When you are ready to try again, I can sit in the bathroom with you while you shower.”

Quigley nearly brushed that suggestion away, but he thought about it more and softly replied, “Yes, please.”

Quigley was ready to try again ten minutes later. He asked Olivia if he could take another shower. She granted this request without hesitation, knowing this would just be his first shower. She slipped him another pair of shorts and a sweater. This one was blue with little silver stars littered across it. He smiled thankfully and Duncan followed him back down the hallway. Before entering the bathroom, Duncan spotted a newspaper on the kitchen counter and snatched it for reading material. They stepped inside and Duncan closed the door.

“Don’t lock it,” Quigley pleaded quickly and Duncan nodded, not mentioning that he wasn’t planning on it. “In case Isa needs to come in...” he added softly.

Duncan hopped up onto the sink and situated himself against the wall with his newspaper in hand.

Quigley watched him and then turned back to the shower curtain with wariness. “What if someone bad does come here?”

“Then you will come out of the shower and help us fight,” Duncan responded without looking up at his brother.

“I’ll be naked?” Quigley nearly shrieked. “And I will probably have soap in my hair.”

“Quigley, if someone bad really does break in and try to take us away, I think there will be worse things to worry about than you being naked,” Duncan chuckled.

Quigley frowned but knew his brother was correct. He glanced at himself in the mirror again and was relieved to find he was able to look at his own face for more than the briefest moment this time. He still looked worried but more complete now with his brother nearby. 

He inhaled deeply and turned to the shower, turning the knob to the red H marking the hot water. Duncan offered him privacy and turned his head toward the wall while Quigley stepped out of his clothing and into the shower.

The sound of the heavy water spewing from the faucet and landing in the tub made Quigley’s stomach turn with nausea. It reminded him of the lapping ocean waves that sucked him under and pelted items at him without a second thought, leaving him screaming in pain and misery.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to step into the water, embracing the hot stream washing over his face, bouncing off his shoulder, and rolling down his legs. His mind flashed to the harsh waves knocking him around and threatening to enter his lungs. He started to lose his balance on suddenly shaking legs and he quickly opened his eyes to sturdy himself with reality that surrounded him.

“Duncan?” He whined in a voice that he knew sounded pathetic, but he didn’t care. He wanted to be reassured and he wanted to be grounded to the small bathroom that he was in rather than being lost in the vast deep ocean.

“Yes?” The response sounded timid.

“Talk to me?” He begged softly.

Without missing a beat, Duncan began reading the newspaper he brought in with him. “This story says: ‘Beets are the Next Best Treats.’ But I don’t know if that’s true. Are beets even good? I can’t remember.”

Quigley wasn’t sure if he ever tasted a beet but he liked the rhyming title anyway and with the aid of his brother's commentary, Quigley's mind no longer swept him back to those violent crashing waves. His trepidation subsided and he found the shower did not feel anything like the ocean. He even began to enjoy it and relished in the comfort forming deep in his chest.

Duncan continued to read the newspaper and critique the lousy writing. “They got paid to do this! I could write better than this even if I were sleep-deprived. No wait, I could even write better than this even if I were comatose.” Quigley chuckled and scrubbed his scalp with shampoo. Duncan was right, Quigley did like way the soap smelled.

After he finished, he stepped out from behind the shower curtain and Duncan turned to smile at him. “You are clean!” He announced with enthusiasm.

Quigley stood on the bathmat with his towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Duncan saw Quigley’s ribs poking out and wondered if they all looked that starved.

“I really do need a haircut,” Quigley murmured absently, stepping in front of the mirror and combing his wet hair back away from his face

“I don’t know, I sort of like it. It makes you look tough,” Duncan smirked.

“I wonder if she would like it...” Quigley whispered aloud to himself, thinking of Violet Baudelaire.

“Who?”

“Uhm... Momma,” he lied quickly as a flush betrayed him and spread across his cheeks and chest.

“I think she would like to see you no matter what,” Duncan murmured, turning the newspaper page and skimming through a ridiculously fabricated article about possible dangers of eating goat cheese seconds before eating almonds. Quigley felt tears tickle the backs of his eyes and he squeezed them shut, not wanting to cry again. His throat still ached from sobbing to Hector on the porch.

“Thanks for sitting in here with me,” Quigley placed a hand on his own chest, over his heart, and looked at Duncan.

Duncan was prepared to make a silly remark to lighten the mood but when he saw the sincerity on his brother’s face, he smiled softly and promised, “Any time.”

~~~

Quigley stepped out of the bathroom with Duncan on his heels. Isadora smiled pleasantly to her brothers and turned back to a book she picked out of an open box. She wasn’t sure what she was reading as she was mostly musing about her recent travels, but she appreciated the blank canvas created in her mind when she skimmed the words.

Olivia Caliban heard the two boys return to the living room and she joined them, offering a late snack before bedtime.

“Now, as I said before,” Olivia started as she handed a bowl of sliced avocado and tomato to each triplet. They all grinned at their food and began to eat before Olivia was able to offer them toasted bread as a companion. She sat the plate of bread in the middle of the table and let the children pick at it if they pleased. “I would love for you three to stay with me.” Quigley froze and glanced at his siblings, who chewed slowly and watched Olivia. “And that offer continues to stand. I want you three to be safe and happy, and I would never wish to force you somewhere that you didn’t want to be. I know we do not know each other,” she said to Quigley, who nodded slowly in agreement, “and we only had the pleasure of knowing each other for a short time,” she stated to the other two triplets, “and that can be very scary. I would never ask you to do something you did not feel comfortable with and if you would like to live with someone else, I will help you get to them. I want you to be honest with me and tell me what would make you feel the most comfortable.”

The triplets halted completely and glanced at one another. Quigley knew their delayed responses were due to them waiting on him to answer but he didn’t know what to say.

Olivia noticed Quigley was on the receiving end of the questioning glances and she quickly spoke up again, “It’s okay if you don’t have an answer right now. I just want to know how you are all feeling at the moment.”

Duncan and Isadora didn’t want to betray Quigley by providing an answer he didn’t agree with so they continued to remain silent and stared down into their bowls.

“Uhm... I am feeling anxious,” Quigley finally whispered, and Olivia exhaled quietly in relief to have someone answer her.

She nodded and replied with a small smile, “Me too.”

This startled Quigley for a moment because he naively didn’t believe adults could become anxious. His parents and Jacques Snicket kept that part well-hidden from him and Hector seemed confident enough to Quigley as he tried to keep the Quagmires at peace.

“We don’t really have anyone else,” Quigley continued again, his voice became even quieter and caused Olivia to lean in and strain to hear his words.

“I would love to have you here,” Olivia said again in a soft voice that managed to bring calmness to the tense table. “If you would allow me to provide you with a home, I promise I will do everything I can to keep you three safe and healthy and happy.”

Isadora and Duncan looked to Quigley again, who turned red in the spotlight. He picked numbly at a silver star on his sleeve, staring at that spot while his mind raced. He finally nodded and replied politely, “That would be very nice, thank you.” His siblings watched him for a moment in case he showed a sign of hesitation and when they did not see any, they turned back to Olivia and grinned.

“It is a very generous offer,” Duncan nodded and Isadora agreed whole-heartedly. 

“We would be honored to live with you,” she confirmed.

Olivia beamed and felt anxiety lift from her chest. “In that case, as I’ve also mentioned earlier, we will be moving to a new house over the next few days. It’s my brother’s old house but he and his wife signed a contract requiring them to travel for work for the next couple of years, so he has invited me to stay there. It is more spacious and further away from the city, two things I think we can all agree on as being necessary changes. And with that settled, I would like to know what happened to you three over the past several days. In particular, what happened here?” Olivia asked as worry knitted her eyebrows together and she pointed to Isadora’s forehead.

Isadora lit up at the attention and excitedly told Olivia about falling out of the sky in Hector’s mobile home and then escaping a sinking submarine. Duncan interjected quick sentences when he believed Isadora left out vital information (“the Queequeg crew knew the Baudelaires too!” and “that horrible alarm was nearly deafening” and “Quigley kept talking about sharks...”; the last insertion made Quigley blush with embarrassment).

Olivia listened while her awe was reflected on her face. When Isadora finished, Olivia’s eyes appeared to be full of grief. “I’m so sorry you three have suffered through so much.” Isadora placed a hand over Olivia’s and smiled with encouragement.

“It is okay. We are together now and we have you,” Duncan said softly and tears spilled over Olivia’s cheeks. 

She hastily brushed them aside and thanked the triplets for sharing that story. She carefully asked what happened before they all met together on Hector’s aircraft. The triplets shuffled uncomfortably and looked down at their laps.

“Maybe we can talk about that another time, I’m sort of tired...” Quigley mumbled a lie and picked at his thumb nail under the table.

“I’m anticipating it,” Olivia nodded and stood up to gather the bowls and bring them to the sink.

“Ms. Caliban?” Duncan asked while he stood up from his chair. 

“You can all call me Olivia,” Olivia smiled gently. “And yes?”

“Do you know anything about removing stitches?”

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows in thought. “I’ve never performed that myself, but I’d say it should be easy enough with a small pair of sewing scissors.”

Quigley gasped anxiously even though he figured a pair of sewing scissors was probably the safest method. Duncan patted his arm.

“Can you please help us with that?” Isadora asked, fumbling with the thin threads in her forehead. “I have this here and Duncan has some on the bottom of his foot.”

Olivia agreed and the two triplets followed her to the bathroom with anticipation. Quigley groaned to himself and followed them, just in time to see Olivia fetched her sewing kit from under the sink. The procedure was completely painless and both triplets smiled with relief to see their pink scars were no longer criss-crossed with frustrating thread. They thanked her profusely and hugged her with appreciation.

Olivia guided the children to their bedroom and watched happily as they crawled into the large, comfortable bed. They laid close together with their shoulders touching one another in their new bed. Like in the hot air mobile home, Quigley was in the middle of his siblings. She wished the triplets a good night and turned out the light, shutting the door behind her.

“Quigley, are you sure you want to stay?” Duncan asked immediately in a hushed voice.

“Yes, please tell us the truth. We can go if you don’t want to be here,” Isadora added firmly.

Quigley bit his lip for a moment before he confirmed, “I do want to stay. We have nowhere else to go and you both seem to trust her. And I trust you,” he stated, carefully mimicking Hector’s own words and claiming them as his own in his heart.

This seemed to help his siblings relax and they wished one another a good night, giving into the thick exhaustion that weighed heavy on their eyelids for the past several hours. They largely looked forward to a restful night.

Quigley did not enjoy a peaceful night because shortly after he slipped into sleep, he found himself surrounded by a terrifying, fabricated world located in his subconscious. Olivia stood before him and removed her face to show she was secretly the woman he saw from the top of the mountain, the one with hair but no beard. She cackled loudly and pointed at him before turning around where he saw her partner in crime on the other side of her head, the man with a beard but no hair. He shivered under their menacing gaze and when he turned around, his siblings were missing and he crumbled. He suddenly found himself running through a dense forest, huffing for breath and sweating with panic as he searched for his siblings. He ignored the branches smacking his face and the thorns pushing into his feet with every leap. He felt as though his eyes were wide enough to pop out of his head and he squeezed them shut to avoid that horrific possibility. Without the aid of his eyes, he immediately felt himself run into a tree, knocking the breath from his lungs. He heard Violet scream his name and when he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the snow by a towering mountain, watching helplessly while his friends disappeared on a toboggan sled over a cliff. He turned away from the terrifying scene and found he was in the air, in a basket. Hector and his siblings were finally there with him but they all had their back turned to him. He almost screamed out and begged to see their faces, but a loud pop drew Quigley’s attention up to the eagles surrounding their home and suddenly, he was falling.

Quigley startled from his nightmare, panting and sweating. He placed a hand on his chest and felt the soft star sweater, easing him back to reality. He heard soft breathing on either side of him and saw his triplets fast asleep with easy, calm expressions on their faces.

He slipped out of bed on shaking limbs, careful not to wake his siblings and he tiptoed to the bedroom door. Nobody will take them away, he thought to himself firmly and he stepped outside of the room into the dark hallway.


	7. Discussions at the Devil’s Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia Caliban and Quigley Quagmire share a late-night conversation and open up about their troubled pasts at the kitchen table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) and once more, here is a chapter with a tad bit of sadness. I promise though, there is happiness coming soon enough!
> 
> (This is actually the very first chapter I wrote for this fic, this whole story was based around this one conversation! I was very excited to post it)

Olivia awoke to a slight rustling sound outside of her room and she quickly jumped out of bed. The ticking clock by her dresser showed 03:17 am and this made her frown heavily. Did someone break in? Are they trying to take the children?

Olivia grabbed the baseball bat by her bed and quietly placed her hand on the doorknob, twisting it slowly. When she heard the knob click signifying the door was no longer held in place by the bolt, she pulled the door open forcefully and raised the bat above her head. There was nobody standing in front of her door. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and tip-toed down the hallway, poking her head around the corner.

She spotted a child sitting cross-legged on the floor with their back pressed against the closed door leading to the second bedroom. Olivia sighed in relief and exhaustion and lowered the bat silently to the floor before stepping toward the child. In the soft moonlight, she could see that it is was Quigley staring blankly at the wall across from him with sleepy, glazed-over eyes. When he heard her approach, he quickly snapped to attention, stood up, and faced her. She noticed the way his eyes widened in fear and his fists clenched in preparation for defense but she didn’t comment on this, thinking of how she initially grabbed a baseball bat in preparation for a fight herself.

“It’s just me,” Olivia whispered, aware of Duncan and Isadora sleeping behind the closed door. She held out a hand to Quigley and waited patiently. He frowned at her for what felt like several seconds before slowly raising his own hand and placing it in hers.

She led him through the house in darkness. When he saw the bat lying on the floor illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the window, his breath hitched in his tightening throat and he pulled away from her loose grip anxiously. His fear was heightened in the dark and he couldn’t explain why he felt more wary of the librarian in the dark, but Olivia understood anyway. She smiled and softly informed him that she heard a noise and was worried someone broke in.

He accepted this reasoning and allowed her to lead him down the hallway and into the dark kitchen. She turned on a small lamp and they sat across from one another at the kitchen table in silence. After a pause, Olivia raised her eyebrows and stood up, remembering that she was still the host even in the middle of the night. “I can make us something to drink if you’d like. I have tea or juice or hot cider-”

“No thank you,” Quigley almost shouted and stood up too quickly. His feet stumbled around his chair legs and he planted his hands on the firm table for support. A memory of a mug of hot cider flooded his mind; he saw his mother join him in the kitchen, where he was sitting at the table far too late into the night because he was unable to sleep. He remembered the way she smiled at him and placed her own hand over his, asking him what was keeping him from dreaming with his siblings. They whispered softly around their mugs until they smelled the smoke that destroyed his life.

This was the very last moment he saw his mother and when he was alone with his thoughts, he was able to convince himself that his own restless mind keeping them both awake that fateful night was the reason his family was eradicated in a fire. He tried to focus now on his hands resting over the wooden table and feel the soles of his feet against the floor underneath him. His anxious mind effortlessly moved to deceive him into believing he was back in the tunnels, alone and with his bare feet pressed against the cold tiles.

Olivia waited patiently and watched him with careful eyes until Quigley slowly sat back down in his chair. His eyes were wider now with his pupils blown in panic, and his breath came out a little quicker than before she mentioned the drinks.

“I guess we should probably talk to one another, right?” Olivia sat back down across from Quigley, resting her hands on the table in front of her in an attempt to prove that she had no malicious intentions hiding in her heart.

“What do you want to talk about?” He asked with a feigned half-hearted shrug, though his voice was a little higher in pitch than he felt comfortable with. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, and he cleared his throat, looking down at his hands.

“Why are you awake so late?”

“I am not tired.” His answer was quick and sharp, seemingly well-rehearsed.

“Why are you awake and sitting on the floor outside of your bedroom in the middle of the night?” She tried more specifically.

Quigley chewed on his lower lip for a moment, refusing to make eye contact. He eventually shrugged without providing further explanation. They sat in silence for another moment and Olivia opened her mouth to ask another question, but Quigley hastily spit out, “Are you VFD?” 

The room became silent again and in the midst of the heavy air, his cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment at his own question and he looked back down at his lap.

Olivia decided to return to her own question later and pondered the one directed toward her. She understood he wanted information before he was able to open up and she didn’t mind at all to provide what she had. “Not anymore. I suppose I was for a short time. I met a man named Jacques Snicket,” Quigley’s head snapped up at the mention of a familiar name and he finally looked into her eyes while she told her story. “And he recruited me. We worked together to try and rescue your siblings after they were kidnapped from the school.”

Quigley didn’t notice at the moment but with his suddenly overwhelming emotions, he began to cry. He tried to ask Duncan to tell him what happened though he knew his siblings quietly agreed to save him from the grief of knowing everything they suffered through. Hearing the word ‘kidnapped’ used regarding his siblings cemented the past and guaranteed misery in the attainment of information. Olivia noticed his tears but believed it was best to not address it yet, especially not while she held his attention.

“We failed, of course. Twice. And that second time, Jacques paid an unforgiving price,” she paused and inhaled deeply before continuing. “Quigley, he was murdered by the same abhorrent people that stole your siblings.” He nodded solemnly, remembering seeing Snicket’s picture in the Daily Punctilio. The newspaper called the deceased man “Count Olaf” but despite the fake eyebrow and ridiculously-styled hair, Quigley knew the true identity of the man staring out at him unmoving with empty eyes through the black and white photograph. This news was further solidified when he met the Baudelaires and the eldest informed him of their previous stops.

“I was very fond of him and his gallant intentions,” Olivia continued. “And after he was gone, I had a difficult time going back to the organization. So, I didn’t. I planned on helping who I could and in whatever way I could, and in doing that, I searched for your brother and sister without the complicated aid of VFD.”

“Why?” Quigley’s voice was sticky from his crying, but he didn’t notice.

“Why did I look for your siblings or why did I do it without VFD?” He didn’t respond so she decided to answer both. “I loved spending time with your siblings during our brief stay together at that disgusting school. They are loving and good-hearted people and true living definitions of the word ‘benevolence.’ These aren’t traits I saw often while working there but your siblings are filled to the brim with it. They missed you with a great severity that you could see reflecting back at you when you looked in their eyes. They suffered through countless troublesome scenarios courtesy of that horrible vice principal and those terrible school children, which was unfair within itself. When they were suddenly kidnapped, the world I thought I knew seemed to deteriorate around me. I must have been so naïve to believe the world would be safe for two innocent, good children. Well, safe enough anyway.”

Quigley lowered his head in shame and muttered softly, “I’ve been naïve too.”

Olivia nodded, “I’m sure you have your stories.” Quigley just shrugged again, and she decided to continue. “Jacques and I tried so hard to save them at the Squalor place and again in that backwards village. But I just kept failing.” She looked down at her hands again and took in a shaky breath. “I kept failing and those children needed me. After seeing them again today, I feel I have the opportunity to help and finally make it up to those children, to Jacques, and to you. It is imperative to me that I see you offered a home, security, and love, three things that I am happy to provide. I do love your siblings and I am so happy to have you here too. You mean a great deal to them and I can see they are beyond themselves with joy to have you back in their lives. Sometimes I feel like I am looking at different children when I see that blissful glisten in their eyes. With you at their side, they are complete once more.”

Quigley was sobbing at this point, hiding his face in his hands and filled with anguish and embarrassment. Olivia got up from the table and stepped into the bathroom quietly. She returned to him with tissue paper and rubbed his back softly while his shoulders shook and he cried into the paper.

When he calmed again, he sniffed and wiped his face with the soft sleeves of his star sweater. Olivia left his side once more and Quigley heard the faucet running softly at the bathroom sink. She returned to him and gently pressed a cold, wet wash cloth to his face. The dampness cooled his hot cheeks and brought relief to his stinging eyes. This kindness reminded him of his mother and the sorrowful memory sent him into another crying fit. His chest heaved with despair and his breaths were drawn between wet teeth with gasping inhales.

“Thank you,” he croaked heavily after he caught his breath, and he pressed the wash cloth roughly into his swollen face until he saw small spots on the inside of his eyelids. Olivia continued to rub his back until he brought the cloth away from his face and nodded to her, signifying he was ready for them to continue their conversation. Olivia took her seat across from him again and replaced her hands on the table in front of her.

“I began searching for your siblings without VFD aid because I no longer want to be a part of that organization. I believe they perform good deeds necessary for this world, but I cannot be included any longer. Not without Jacques,” she whispered the last part, as tears threatened to fill her own eyes. She willed them away and continued, “I hope you understand why I want to step away from them.”

Quigley nodded and was silent for a long time before mumbling, “I want out too.” Olivia nodded, understanding his reasoning without needing to ask, but he provided an explanation anyway. “I don’t want to be in that anymore and I don’t want Isadora or Duncan to be a part of it either.”

“Quigley, why were you sitting outside your door tonight?” She tried softly and to her surprise, he answered.

“I have to protect them,” Quigley whispered with urgency, leaning forward. “If I don’t, they could get taken away again. And I might never see them this time.”

His small face was full of such worry that Olivia felt had no place finding itself on a child’s expression. And at that, Olivia began to cry. This would have startled Quigley, but he hardly noticed because he started crying again too. They made eye contact while tears streamed freely down their faces and Olivia opened her arms to him as an offer for comfort. He quickly got up and ran around to table and into her arms, which she wrapped warmly around him. She hugged him sincerely and they cried together, enveloped by their mirrored grief and guilt.

When Olivia’s crying ceased, she whispered to him, “I will never let anything bad happen to your siblings, ever again. I will do absolutely everything in my power to keep you three safe. I promise.” He believed her and nodded, hugging her tightly.

“What is wrong?” Olivia and Quigley startled at the sound of a new voice and they pulled apart, turning to see Isadora and Duncan hiding in the shadows of the dark hallway. They had matching pouts and wide eyes with the threat of tears spilling over their own cheeks.

“Nothing is wrong,” Olivia smiled and hastily wiped at her face. “Why are you two up?”

“We woke up and couldn’t find you again,” Duncan whispered to Quigley, his small voice laced with fear. Quigley’s lip quivered and his eyes betrayed his shame. He promised his siblings in Hector’s mobile home that he would wake them when he got up without them, but he did not stay true to his word tonight. He ran over to his siblings and wrapped them both in a hug.

“We thought you were gone all over again,” Isadora admitted, holding him tightly. Olivia turned away and allowed the triplets to have privacy.

When everyone calmed again, Olivia invited them all to sit with her at the table. Isadora and Duncan both agreed to cups of hot cider and they intently watched Olivia heat up the drinks over the stove. Neither of them could remember the last time they tasted hot cider; Hector only carried cold water and juices for them in their home in the sky.

Quigley uncomfortably declined again and tried to ignore his siblings looking at him with agog and genuine curiosity. He rolled his eyes playfully when they poked him and asked how he could bare to turn down such a delicious treat, especially one that their parents used to offer them. After serving the drinks, Olivia noticed Duncan carefully hold his mug up to Quigley’s mouth and they watched him take a small, wary sip despite himself. Duncan became slightly overzealous and tipped the mug up too quickly, resulting in cider splashing on Quigley’s upper lip and threatening to enter his nose. The triplets giggled at this and grinned with content.

With the aid of the Duncan and Isadora, the mood shifted dramatically and everyone felt lighter in spirit. They spoke to one another about subjects that had a tendency to be easy on the living mind, including picnicking by the ocean and the themes of their favorite books.

When the clock struck 05:00 am, Olivia smiled kindly at the children sitting around her at the dinner table. Duncan had an arm wrapped around Quigley’s waist and his head was leaning against his shoulder. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily in his deep sleep. Olivia saw him occasionally twitch and his eyes flickering beneath his eyelids and she knew his dreaming must have been important. Quigley and Isadora were still giggling and sharing stories excitedly, but they kept their voices hushed because they knew their brother was asleep. When Olivia saw the energy between the two conscious triplets steadily decreasing, she knew this was a perfect opportunity to get them all to bed.

She stood up and carried the empty mugs to the kitchen sink, intending on washing them out in the morning.

“Alright, Quagmires,” they looked at her sleepily and she smiled fondly at their drowsy expressions. “I believe it’s bedtime. We can all sleep in tomorrow morning and wake up for a late brunch, okay?”

Isadora nodded and scooted her chair back from the table. Quigley looked at Duncan with apprehension. “I can stay here so he doesn’t wake up,” he offered softly to Olivia.

She shook her head gently, “That is an incredibly kind offer but there’s no need for that. I can carry him.” She waited for Quigley to nod his permission to her, which he did after several seconds of chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip. She scooped Duncan up and the three of them giggled softly when Duncan murmured something unintelligible in his sleep.

Isadora led the way to their bedroom followed by Olivia carrying Duncan and Quigley walking closely behind them. When they entered the room, Olivia laid Duncan down on the bed and gently replaced the covers over him. She watched the two triplets climb into bed around their brother and crawl under the blankets once more.

Olivia grimaced apologetically and addressed the two Quagmires that could still hear her. “I’m so sorry that there is so little room for you all. Are you sure you don’t want to sleep in my room or even on the couch?”

They both shook their heads but thanked her for the offer.

“I promise we will make this new home ours. I want you to be comfortable,” she whispered.

“We are,” Isadora grinned and Quigley agreed with honesty.

They all wished each other a good night despite the small light threatening to rise from the horizon and spill into the bedroom through the window. Olivia closed the door silently behind her and waited a moment in front of the door before determining that Quigley must have fallen asleep and would not return to his restless post outside of his room.

She returned to her own room and caught herself smiling, thinking of the new life that she would build with these children. She fell asleep feeling peaceful.

~~~

The sun finally stirred the three children awake at 10:00 am and they all groaned in unison. The acapella of their groggy objections echoed throughout the room but did very little to assist in guiding them closer to true consciousness.

Duncan cracked his tired eyes open and blinked into the brightly-lit room. He looked up at the ceiling and finally murmured to his sister, who he felt shifting positions next to him, “Isa, you haven’t told me a couplet in a very long time.”

Isadora was quiet for a long moment and Duncan almost surrendered to the tranquil silence, giving up on conversation, when she finally spoke up, “Oh, I guess it has been a while. When was the last?”

“Before Quigley.”

At the sound of his name, Quigley groaned softly and tried to sit up next to Duncan’s other side, but he quickly gave up and cuddled against his brother’s side, burying his face into his pillow to avoid the brightness seeping in through his eyelids.

“No, it wasn’t that long ago. Didn’t I just make one up while we-” she stopped and remembered her most recent couplet was made after Quigley returned to their lives, but this one was private and just for Fiona. She blushed at the thought. “Okay, I’ll make one. Any requests?”

“Make it about sleep?” Quigley asked in a voice that sounded drained and scratchy with exhaustion.

Isadora smirked despite having to put forth the tedious effort to design a couplet on such short notice and after interrupted sleep. This used to be her favorite game; her brothers would spit out a random word and she had twenty seconds to come up with a rhyming couplet. She was most impressed with the one she made was after Duncan suggested ‘watermelon’ (which she rhymed with the phrase ‘excel in’).

“Though I admit you two brothers are the very best; I wish you’d be quiet and just let me rest,” She snickered. Quigley laughed into his pillow and snaked his arms under it to cradle his head.

“That doesn’t count,” Duncan muttered.

“We are back on land and out of the sea; I wish this horrible world would just let us be,” Isadora provided and Quigley groaned, nodding his head in agreement.

“Sad,” Duncan critiqued. “One more?”

“The sun shines through our window, warm and bright; our new home together truly seems to be right,” she smiled at this one, personally loving to make couplets regarding the sun.

Duncan was quiet for a few minutes and Isadora considered asking why the peanut gallery suddenly stopped their nonsense, but he finally murmured in a soft, earnest voice, “I love it.”

The children fell asleep once more.


	8. The Record Player

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quagmires and Olivia make further progress with their exciting move and a dance party ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay! You all are very patient, and I appreciate that <3 
> 
> (I think the story takes place somewhere in the 40’s? That’s the vibe I got from the show and books (despite the jokes about television and Tito) so that is the decade I went with for safety. Therefore, the music aspect of this chapter was not easy for me. Please know that if this took place a few decades later, they would be singing and dancing to ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ by Toploader and “December, 1963” by The Four Seasons. Let’s have a moment of silence for the adorable scene that could have been.)
> 
> (Also if you haven’t heard about that Bogan song mentioned here, it’s a riot. Don’t let your grandparents tell you that our music is inappropriate)

The children woke again a few hours later, just after the noon hour sounded on the living room clock, and they heard the light click of the front door latch closing. The triplets slowly rubbed their eyes and cracked their eyelids open into the relentless sunshine, groaning through throats that felt thick with thirst.

“I just want to sleep forever,” Isadora murmured but she sat up and pushed the blankets away from her body. Her brothers agreed with a small hum.

They crawled out of bed and stretched their stiff limbs, reaching with their fingertips toward the ceiling and raising up on their tiptoes to the symphony of sleepy grunting.

The triplets considered giving in to their desire for more sleep and crawling back under the thick covers, but this plan was interrupted when the smell of salted food suddenly seeped under the cracks of their bedroom door and filled their nostrils. They perked up drastically and left their comfortable bedroom in favor of shuffling their bare feet into the kitchen where they saw Olivia grinning at them. She was breathing heavily and carrying a large bag that held the savory contents that influenced the triplets’ stomachs to speak to one another with low, rumbling growls. Olivia appeared to have been awake for several hours as she was clad in a sleeveless button-up shirt tucked into faded jeans. Her hair was pulled up loosely around her face, which glistened lightly with sweat, and she wiped a forearm across her forehead after laying the bag on the table.

“Good morning, you three,” she smiled brightly and placed her hands on her hips. “I am so glad to see you are awake now. I hope you are hungry, I brought back Chinese food.”

“Have you been out all morning?” Isadora asked, approaching Olivia slowly, and glancing at the bag involuntarily as her stomach twisted with hunger.

“I sure have,” Olivia answered and waved the sleepy children forward to sit at the table. “I brought several boxes to the new house and I have made great progress in the living room,” she smiled and turned to fetch cups from the cupboard. “Do you three like Chinese food? If not, I can pop back out and grab something else for us.”

“We love Chinese food,” Duncan answered for his family and they settled down around the large bag.

“That is very good to hear, because I also love Chinese food,” Olivia placed glasses of water in front of each Quagmire before pulling out several small containers from the brown paper bag, decorated with red markings. She cracked open each take-out container and placed them in front of the children along with a pair of chopsticks for each. “How did you all sleep?”

“Good.” Olivia noticed the triplets staring at the food before them with a distant, hungry look in their eyes, but she was pleased anyway to hear the honesty in Isadora’s answer.

“Very good actually, but it wasn’t long enough,” Duncan confirmed, also watching his food and waiting for the signal to dig in.

Olivia chuckled at this. “You three are more than welcome to go back to sleep after you eat lunch.”

“That is tempting,” Quigley answered, finally looking up at Olivia. “But we can help you move boxes. You shouldn’t have to do that alone.” His siblings agreed and Olivia’s face softened impossibly further.

“Eat up,” she announced, and everyone lifted the chopsticks into their lunch. This meal was considerably quiet as the children concentrated solely on bringing the food to their mouths and swallowing forcefully. Their twisting hunger surprised them since they last ate the previous evening, and they had each gone longer than that without food. However, they did not stop eating to ponder it. Olivia did understand why they were so hungry and she wondered how long it would take for the desperation for food to dissipate so they could finally enjoy a meal again.

As they neared the end of their containers, Olivia spoke up. “I looked for more clothing for you three at the new house, but I was unable to find anything. My brother must have packed that up already. I laid out a few other options of mine on the living room couch for you all to sort through. In addition to that, I washed your jumpsuits that you arrived in, in case you would feel more comfortable in those.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Isadora stated, a blush coloring her cheeks.

“Right, we should have done that,” Duncan confirmed with worry knitting his eyebrows together. “We don’t want to be a nuisance to you.” Quigley agreed with a hurried nod.

“But it was no problem at all,” Olivia confirmed firmly. “You are welcome to wear those or some of my clothes or a mix of the lot. I promise we will go shopping soon.” She stood and collected the empty containers, setting them aside for recycling. She excused herself to continue packing boxes in her room and the triplets walked into the nearly-bare living room, toward the couch.

Quigley settled on wearing a rainbow striped T-shirt tucked into his Queequeg overalls with the jumpsuit sleeves tied around his waist. Duncan buttoned his own jumpsuit up over his shoulders and selected a blue sweater to wear over it. Isadora winced at the jumpsuit that reminded her of nearly drowning and she refused it in favor of selecting a golden sweater and large black sweatpants. The triplets turned from one another to change where they stood in the living room and when they faced each other once again, they all giggled.

“Don’t we look fine?” Isadora announced sarcastically.

“We do sort of look like we are failing magnificently in a magazine fashion show,” Quigley murmured, looking down at himself.

“How Paris of us,” Duncan rolled his eyes with a smile. They didn’t know what this meant but they all remembered their mother saying it and it used to make their father laugh, so it made them laugh too.

The triplets stepped carefully to Olivia’s bedroom and knocked on the open door before offering to help pack. She reminded them they could rest throughout the day but when they insisted on helping, she suggested they pack plates and kitchen utensils. Over the next couple of hours, the Quagmires working together to wrap and pack mugs and plates in newspaper (that Duncan skimmed and critiqued quickly), before moving on to packing pots and pans. By late afternoon, they found themselves lounging in the living room, exhausted and catching their breath. Duncan and Isadora sprawled out on the couch and Quigley rested on the floor, surrounded by pillows.

“So, Isa,” Duncan began casually, breaking the silence and glancing at Isadora, who raised up on an elbow curiously. “Are you in love with Fiona?”

Quigley gasped and quickly sat up, looking at his sister with wide eyes and searching for a hint of confirmation.

“Duncan!” She cried out with her mouth hanging open. He only shrugged in response and waited for an answer with the hint of a smirk touching the corner of his mouth. “Well... Are you in love with Klaus?”

Quigley slapped a hand over his mouth and spun his head around to look at his brother. “Baudelaire?” He asked, slightly muffled beneath his palm.

“Shut up!” Duncan shoved Isadora but she only giggled and chastised him for starting it.

“Wait, are you both dating someone?” Quigley practically yelled, throwing his hands in the air. “I had no idea! You gotta tell me these things!” He picked up two pillows lying on the floor next to him and launched them at his siblings, careful not to knock anything over. They laughed and ducked away from his throw.

“Not dating, you goof,” Isadora rolled her eyes. “I only knew Fiona for one single day before we had to abandon ship.”

“Love at first sight,” Duncan announced swimmingly as though he were narrating a fairy tale. Quigley threw both hands over his mouth at that and turned to look back at his sister for additional information.

“No, stop,” she whined and covered her heavily-blushed face with the pillow she held courtesy of Quigley's throw.

“But you liked her,” Duncan murmured, now wearing a full smirk. Isadora didn’t disagree.

“And you?” Quigley quickly turned to his brother once more, with eyebrows raised and his accusatory finger pointed at him impatiently.

“Also no!” Duncan threw the pillow back at Quigley, making soft contact with his face.

“But you liked him,” Isadora mimicked in a voice that sounded nothing like her brother, but it sent the three of them into a giggle fit.

“You two are unbelievable!” Quigley announced dramatically once he was able to speak again.

“Well, Quig, who are you in love with, since you are so interested in our lives,” Isadora crossed her arms but she was still chuckling around her words.

“Isa, don’t be silly. He hasn’t even been around anybody since the day.” ‘The day’ referred to the Quagmire home fire but Duncan didn’t wish to say that in so many words and his siblings didn’t wish to hear it. “Who would he have even met?”

“A fish?” Isadora snickered.

“A bird?” Duncan covered his mouth with a hand.

“Violet Baudelaire,” Quigley answered easily with a half-smile and a blush tinting his cheeks. His siblings stared at him for a moment, frozen in shock at his blatant honesty, before they began laughing again. Quigley frowned at that. “What? What is it now?”

Instead of answering, Duncan and Isadora stood up and joined hands with one another before dancing around Quigley, who stared at them with his mouth agape from his seat on the floor. He asked what was going on but they ignored him in favor of chanting, “Quigley’s in love, Quigley’s in love!”

Quigley asked if they rehearsed this song and dance at some point, but they just laughed and plopped down next to him on the floor. They spent the next several minutes making kissy faces in attempt to embarrass one another. It eventually ended with all three triplets lying on their backs and giggling giddily.

When they settled down, they watched the ceiling for minutes, all stuck in their private thoughts.

“It is sort of unfair, though, isn’t it?” Isadora finally whispered, breaking the silence. The air around them suddenly felt heavy and full of thick dread they were forced to inhale anyway. Her brothers knew what she meant but they asked her for clarification anyway. “We all feel this special way about people we will never be able to see again.”

Duncan frowned and rolled onto his belly so he could face her. Quigley felt a stab of guilt in his chest and his face flushed, knowing he made a similar statement the day before, fueled by hurt and anger.

“But we will see them again,” Duncan stated firmly.

“We will,” Quigley agreed with a sharp nod.

Isadora shrugged, obviously unconvinced but not in the mood to argue with her brothers.

A familiar and melancholic mood surrounded them and stuck in their throats until Olivia entered the room and announced she would take more boxes to the new house.

“Are you three interested in accompanying me to see our new place?” She asked carefully, avoiding using the word ‘home.’ That particular word seemed unfair and forward in light of their absent parents and Hector’s departure. 

Despite this, the triplets agreed, ecstatic to be provided with the opportunity to distract themselves from the loneliness they felt even in each other’s presence. They gathered boxes and loaded them into a car that Olivia rented for the move. When they fit as much as they could in the trunk and half of the back seat, Isadora climbed into the front passenger seat and turned to watch her brothers scramble into the back. Olivia made sure they were buckled before driving the stretch to the new house. The triplets watched the ocean waves pass through the windows and they wondered if anyone they knew was in those waters. Hector, the Widdershins and crew, the Baudelaires? The ocean seemed to have taken everything from them and they wondered if they could ever enjoy it again. They suffered torment by both flame and water, and they wondered what else could add to it. 

“Here!” Olivia’s warm voice pulled them from the shivering chills in their memory and they looked out the front window at the house before them. The house reached two stories high and containing a porch and several bay windows. The triplets’ eyes widened in awe as they stepped out of the vehicle.

“It’s so beautiful,” Isadora murmured, and Quigley nodded with his mouth hanging open.

“This house is so big,” Duncan gasped. “Are your parents rich too?”

“Rich?” Olivia laughed and opened the trunk to distribute the boxes. “Oh, absolutely not. My parents were poor immigrants from Romania. Not a dime to their name at any point in their lives. They were in frequent trouble with the bank, and they died poor as church mice.” She was shocked by her own brutal honestly and she lowered her gaze to study the heavy box in her arms with great intensity. “My brother and his wife saved for years to buy this house.”

“Oh,” Duncan whispered. “Well, they had you in their lives, so I bet they felt rich every day.”

The innocence in this claim stopped Olivia in her tracks and tears sprung to her eyes. She murmured a gentle ‘thank you’ and quickly led the children into the house, willing the stinging in her eyes away.

“Can we explore?” Quigley practically begged, looking around excitedly with large eyes.

“Please do. Go pick out your rooms,” Olivia encouraged them, and they took off, still carrying their boxes and causing Olivia to laugh in return.

Moments later, while the triplets ran around the house exploring, Olivia pulled Duncan aside and hugged him extra tight, whispering a sincere appreciation in his ear. Duncan blushed at this and nodded his head in understanding before bouncing off to rejoin his siblings in the far bedroom.

When the rest of the boxes were unpacked from the car, Olivia walked around the living room she hadn’t allowed herself to examine during her previous rushing. She noticed her brother actually left behind quite a number of boxes for her enjoyment. When the racing footsteps died down, she invited the triplets to look through the mystery boxes with her and they excitedly agreed. She picked at the tape securing one box absently when she spotted the record player in the corner.

“It looks like they left their records,” she noted, bending over slightly to find them piled carefully in a box. “And there’s still one loaded, let’s have a listen,” Olivia winked at the children and fiddled with the record player until it came to life. Crackled music rose from the speaker and filled the room with Louise Johnson’s “On the Wall.”

Olivia turned and moved to search through another stack of her brother’s boxes. It only took a few of Johnson’s scandalous lyrics to draw the children’s attention and they frowned toward the speakers curiously.

“Ms. Caliban, what does this song mean?” Quigley asked and the triplets all turned to see Olivia blushing furiously and moving to turn off the record, too flustered to remind him of her request that they call her by her first name.

“Uhm, it doesn’t mean anything,” she lied with difficulty, stumbling over her words and boxes to move back to the record player. She stopped the song and removed it from the place mat. “Let’s see what else they have,” she announced in a loud, quick voice hoping to distract her audience.

The record she happened to pick up next was Lucille Bogan’s “Shave ‘Em Dry” and her eyes widened with horrified recognition. She groaned and her face became even darker, something that further intrigued the triplets.

“What’s wrong?” Isadora asked cautiously, standing up and trying to peak at the record that caused Olivia such discomfort.

“Nothing is wrong,” Olivia lied again and cleared her throat loudly as she recalled the raunchy lyrics. She remembers her brother purchased this record as a prank and played it for their unknowing parents. Olivia thought her mother was going to choke on the dinner they sat around as soon as Bogen began to sing. She heard the echoes of her brother cackling swim around the room.

“What’s that one that you have there?” Quigley approached his sister and pointed to the record in Olivia’s hands.

“You won’t know this one, this song is older,” Olivia answered in a voice higher in pitch than she intended, and she quickly tossed the record aside, angling her body to block it from their view. “Besides, it’s not as clear coming out of the speaker as these are, so let’s just forget about that one.”

Quigley and Isadora grinned at each other with childish amusement at the clearly-inappropriate song Olivia was hiding from them. Duncan became bored and returned to sifting through the box he sat in front of.

Refusing to further entertain the curious children with this matter, Olivia picked up another record and within a short moment, Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” filled the room with the blaring orchestra. 

Duncan dropped the magazine he held, and a smile stretched across his face. He stood up to face the record player and began to bounce on his toes while announcing, “I like this one.”

“Me too.” Relief flooded Olivia’s face and her shoulders dropped. “Swing dance is really fun with this song! Can you all do that?” They shook their heads, only recalling learning ballroom dance waltzes from their parents. More truthfully, from their mother. The memory of their father flailing around disgracefully appeared in their minds and they chuckled wordlessly.

“Want to learn?” Olivia reached her hand out to Quigley, who grinned and quickly stepped forward, placing his hand in hers. The mirroring of this moment to the one just last night when his hand was held in Olivia’s in the dark hallway was not lost on him. He wondered how it was possible to feel so comfortable and safe now, just one day later.

She clasped his hands between them in a way that their arms were parallel to the floor under them. She slowly showed him the way to twist his feet and raise them from the ground coordinating with the music. “Now shake your hands like this,” she waved her fingers in front of her face like she were playing a vertical piano. Quigley found this move particularly funny and he had to pause and giggle into his hands before he was ready to continue.

“Can you teach me too?” Isadora stood up from her cross-legged perch on a sturdy box, barely keeping her excitement contained as the song came to an end.

“Yes, come on over,” Olivia smiled through flushed cheeks and guided Isadora to the center of the room. Olivia changed the song to “Bei Mir Bist Du Shein” by The Andrew Sisters. The incorrect pronunciation of ‘shein’ for the sake of rhyming with the English words made the Quagmires snicker. Olivia grasped Isadora’s hands in her own and carefully spun her out, which made Isadora squeal with excitement. It was the most joyful sound Olivia had ever heard and she signaled Isadora to stay put, with their hands grasped in between them on the ends of stretched arms. 

“Now this,” Olivia raised the end of her foot up so that contact with the floor was only made at the heel. She torqued the ball of her foot back and forth above the floor and Isadora giggled. She mimicked the movement and Duncan and Quigley quickly joined them and repeated the movement. Olivia spun Isadora back in and caught her in her arms. As they continued swinging, Quigley tried to keep up but eventually gave into just jumping up and down in a circle to the beat. Duncan thought this was hilarious and mirrored him until the song ended with a soft click.

“Ohhh, now for this one,” Olivia smirked and placed another record on the plate with a flick. ‘JD’s Boogie Woogie’ by Jimmy Dorsey crackled through the speakers and the triplets waited patiently for the song to come alive.

As it did, the four stood in a circle facing one another and danced wildly. Olivia performed a perfectly executed Charleston dance and the triplets tried their best but mostly skipped in place and spun around with their arms high in the air. They felt light and free, a feeling they had all long since forgotten.

Olivia and the Quagmires danced through three more songs before they ended up lying on the carpet sweating and panting harshly. The room was quiet other than the click signaling the end of the song replaced with a light hum of spinning produced by the waiting record player. The hum drifted them into a comfortable lull until it was interrupted by Duncan’s sudden laughter. His siblings quickly joined in followed by Olivia.

“That was very fun,” Duncan whispered after his laughter died.

“I feel my heart beating so fast,” Quigley mimicked the swift pattern on the carpet underneath him with his fingertips.

“I haven’t danced in years,” Olivia whispered with a small, humorless chuckle.

Isadora rolled onto her belly to look at Olivia. “When was the last time you danced?”

Olivia pondered this question before answering, “I was still in high school. They had a silly dance in the gymnasium decorated with streamers.”

“High school,” Quigley murmured, wondering. He had almost forgotten about school entirely. He couldn’t recall how long he had been away from it. His siblings, on the other hand, remembered school very well and they wrinkled their noses with displeasure. Olivia noticed and understood, nodding sympathetically.

“Was it fun?” Isadora asked. “The dance, I mean?”

“Absolutely not,” Olivia chuckled, recalling the awkward evening.

“Was this fun?” Duncan asked in a soft voice.

“The most fun I’ve ever had,” Olivia smiled at him. “When was the last time you danced?”

The triplets thought for a moment until they recalled. “We were at home,” Quigley stated quietly. “And our parents were there. We all danced in the living room one night after dinner.”

“Dad was so bad at it,” Isadora exclaimed, seeing the same memory Quigley did behind her own eyelids.

“He’s always bad at it. Mom was so good at it though,” Duncan confirmed with a nod.

“We were dancing because our parents said we had to celebrate...” Quigley’s voice trailed away and his eyebrows furrowed.

“What were you celebrating?” Olivia asked cautiously.

“I can’t remember...” Quigley sat up and looked at his siblings for an answer, but they shrugged unknowingly. They couldn’t remember the cause for dancing that evening either. Quigley felt uncomfortable forgetting a memory of his parents and he had a sudden ache in his chest.

“It must have been wonderful though,” Olivia murmured with softness blanketing the timid air that arose with forgotten memories. After a moment of silent pause, Olivia sat up and faced the triplets. “Are you three hungry?”

The melancholic mood suddenly died down and they became comfortable again, while nodding quickly. The four decided on pizza that Olivia picked up on their way back to the old house.

“Maybe we can dance again when we live there,” Duncan suggested as they entered through the front door. He was the one volunteered to carry the pizza in, the garlic and cheesy smell leaving their mouths watering.

“I agree completely. That will be tomorrow by the way, if you three are ready.” Olivia guided them to the kitchen where they washed their hands and gathered at the table for dinner. This meal was full of conversation, and Quigley and Isadora even found it in their mischievous selves to bring up the mystery record again. Olivia just scrunched her nose at them with a grin and wagged her finger at them.

They parted ways in the evening with wishes for sweet dreams to the tune of left over giggling from dinner.

~~~

The triplets felt too exhausted to change into clean clothing, and they climbed into the bed with a contented sigh. However, when the silence surrounded them, their anxious thoughts returned despite the lack of invitation.

“Guess what?” Duncan suddenly started in the quiet room.

“What?” Quigley murmured, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“When we were locked in the trunk, we didn’t even try screaming for help or hitting the lid to escape the car. We just cried.”

Quigley froze in place, his heart stuttered and he felt as though someone kicked his stomach to expel his breath. “Trunk? What trunk?”

Isadora watched Duncan with careful, scrutinizing eyes, wondering how far he would allow this conversation to go.

“Olaf’s,” Duncan answered.

“What are you talking about, Duncan? When were you in a trunk?” Quigley sat up and turned to his brother, who turned his head slightly to look back at Quigley.

“Before the elevator.”

“You were in an elevator?” Quigley snapped his head forcefully back and forth between his siblings, his expression a mix of shock, worry, and anger. Isadora avoided Quigley’s eyes and remained silent.

“Yes, we were locked in a cage at the bottom of an elevator.”

Quigley groaned uncomfortably and squirmed. He felt his skin crawl and wanted nothing more than to scratch at his skin and be rid of this conversation. He felt that was a selfish thought. Though he appreciated that his brother felt ready to tell him about their destinations, the truth made him want to cry out.

“We just sat in there like they told us to,” Duncan continued in a small whisper.

Quigley dropped his head and looked down at his hands resting in his lap. The triplets were silent for several minutes and the room filled with worry. Quigley felt the pressing need to extinguish this feeling that caught in their throats.

“Did I ever tell you how I became separated from the Baudelaires?” Quigley asked suddenly.

“No,” Duncan answered.

“I got knocked off of our toboggan by a tree branch.”

Now Isadora and Duncan froze with shock at the news they received. They remained still until Isadora snorted out a laugh and slapped her hand over her mouth. At the sound, Duncan bit his lower lip and tried unsuccessfully to hold in a snicker of his own. 

“They ducked down but I didn’t see it in time. And then it knocked me clean off.”

Now Duncan placed a hand over his mouth in an attempt at hiding a grin.

“I’m serious, too.”

They all three burst into laughter and Quigley flopped back down on his back, closer to his brother than he was before so their arms were pressed together. Isadora moved to Quigley’s other side and they closed their eyes, welcoming sleep.

~~~

Though their evening in bed ended on a lighter note, Quigley was plagued by the new information he obtained, and this followed him into his subconscious.

Quigley startled awake from another nightmare and sat up with a small cry. The final images from his dream seared in his mind and he gasped harshly. He was grabbed and thrown into a small trunk that continuously closed in on him, crushing him. He tried to bang on the lid and kick, but just like the small, hidden door leading back to his house from the secret tunnel on the night of the fire, it would not open.

He laid back down and clutched at his heaving chest. He fruitlessly looked up toward the ceiling that he couldn’t see in the pitch dark, but he knew it was there and he knew it was giving him plenty of room to breathe. He considered getting up and seeing if Olivia was awake and available to talk, but the memory of his promise seared in his mind, hot and warning.

He promised his siblings he would wake them this time though he hated to do it.

“Isa?” He whispered, breaking the heavy silence of the room, and he tapped the shoulder of this sister who rested beside him. “Isadora, please wake up.”

He received a grunt in response and continued, “Isadora, please wake up. I’m scared.” His voice wavered in pitch and he focused hard on bringing the volume down again. “I’m afraid of the bad people and the car,” with the last sentence, his voice finally cracked under pressure and warm tears rolled down his cheeks. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and his mind raced with terrifying ideas that someone was standing in the corner of their room. He glanced nervously toward the window and was relieved to see nothing was watching him.

Isadora heard thick grief in her brother’s voice and she sat up, seeking out with wide eyes to find his gray outline in the dark room.

“What’s wrong?” She asked softly, stifling a yawn that threatened to escape.

“I’m afraid,” he whispered again and scooted closer to her as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

“It’s going to be okay,” she murmured in a comforting voice. “Let’s sit by the window.”

He agreed and they crawled out of bed together, shuffling their feet carefully in the dark room and moving toward the window. Isadora reached the window first and pulled the curtains aside, allowing moonlight to flood the room. The dark corners were illuminated and proven to be empty, allowing Quigley a sigh of relief. Both triplets turned to see their brother still sleeping under the covers, producing long breaths.

“We are safe here,” Isadora informed Quigley in a hushed voice as they knelt down to the floor. He frowned but nodded his head. “I have been thinking... Since this is our last night here in this house, maybe tomorrow we should all sit together-all four of us- and share everything that happened.”

Quigley paled in the moonlight and he chewed on his lower lip. “Everything?”

“Yes. That way, we can leave it all behind.”

“I don’t think we can leave this behind,” he shook his head and grimaced.

“We can try.” Isadora stated with firmness.

Quigley pondered this for a moment and looked outside, dragging his eyes up to the moon. The familiar silence blanketed the room again as they leaned against the windowsill on their elbows, propping their heads in their hands.

“I wish I were there,” Isadora whispered, more to herself than her brother.

“Where?” Quigley asked softly, though he knew her answer.

“The moon.”

“That’s not possible,” the triplets startled at the soft sound of Duncan’s voice and they snapped their heads toward him. He was still lying under the covers in bed, but his eyes peeled out at them over the large blanket. His face was brightened in the moonlight and his hair was plastered to his forehead.

“Not yet, but it could be,” Isadora’s statement had confidence that her brothers wished for. “Someone will invent a way.”

“Maybe,” Duncan murmured in a voice heavy with sleep. “I bet Violet could.”

Quigley’s heartbeat quickened and he smiled to himself at the thought. After a moment, he chuckled and asked, “How would you get to the moon, if you could pick anything?”

“Staircase,” Isadora smirked.

“Train,” Duncan provided.

“Hot air balloon,” Quigley giggled. “That was a very interesting set up that Hector created; I wish I got to see more of it.”

“It was very interesting,” Duncan agreed, rolling onto his back.

After a long pause, Quigley sighed and looked at his sister. “I like your idea. Tomorrow, we will all talk about it.”

“Talk about what?” Duncan whispered.

“Everything,” Isadora informed him and suddenly, Duncan didn’t feel tired anymore. He sucked in a nervous breath and felt his siblings climb back into bed next to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, lovelies! Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to leave a kudos or comment and tell me what you think so far! <3 Lots of love to you!


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